


All's fair in love and war

by saltmaster3



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abusive Girlfriend, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Bokuaka - Freeform, Brothels, Child Abuse, Childhood Friends, Everyone is suffering, F/F, F/M, Four Kingdoms, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Game of Thrones-esque, KageHina - Freeform, KuroKen - Freeform, M/M, MAJOR CHARACTERS DIE, Main ships:, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, One-Sided Relationship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Psychological Torture, Torture, daishou x kageyama, iwaoi - Freeform, kiyoyachi - Freeform, the captains are kings, wow that is actually a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-09-28 03:57:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10070330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltmaster3/pseuds/saltmaster3
Summary: "Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly"~Louis GinsbergSet in the medieval Four Kingdoms, how far will Queen Kiyoko of Karasuno go to win the heart of the woman she loves? How far will everyone else go to stop her?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A brief history of the Four Kingdoms:  
> Until about 400 years ago, the Four Kingdoms didn't exist. Instead, the lands were dominated by clans, who lived by many different ways. The most famous is the clan of Dateko, who reigned over the lands to the east, which is now Aoba Jousai. They ruled for generations, because of their 'iron wall’ fortresses. They were the ones who built Seijoh Castle, the oldest and biggest fortress to this date. To the west, what is now Karasuno, the clans of Wakunan and Jouzenji reigned, often having bloody disputes over territory. In the cold wasteland of the north, the Shiratorizawa Kingdom reigned, as they do to this day. There was another minor clan, Tokonami, who may have lived there before Shiratorizawa arrived, who survived by building igloos and quinzees. Finally, down to the south, the land was in constant dispute between the kingdom of Nohebi and the Fukurodani Assassin Guild. The latter was feared throughout the ancient world, and only the ambitious kings of Nohebi, known as the snake kings for their cunning, dared challenge them. Eventually, invaders came from across the sea of Seijoh, from a land was destroyed. They easily defeated the previous inhabitants and occupied three of the four kingdoms, excluding Shiratorizawa. The present king of Shiratorizawa met with three of their leaders to sign the treaty creating the Four Kingdoms.

The young farmer’s daughter sighed with relief. Though spring brought plentiful harvests in the kingdom of Karasuno, it also meant there was a lot of work to be done. But finally, she had finished her chores and was able to rest.  
Maybe Shouyou’ll come tonight. She giggled at the thought. Shoyou was the son of a neighbouring farmer - she had known him her whole life, and soon, on her eighteenth birthday, they would be married. She had already began to make a dress. She couldn't wait for their wedding day, when he would finally see her in it. Her cheeks felt warm as she slipped to her room, humming a tune. She changed out of her sweaty clothing and into her soft, silk nightgown. Suddenly, she realized she wasn't alone. Her heart skipped a beat. A cloaked figure stood before her.

“I’m sorry for surprising you, but I couldn't risk being recognized.” The intruder explained.  
The girl gasped again. This was definitely not Shouyou.

“Hitoka-chan, do you remember me?” The figure gracefully removed her cloak, revealing a slender woman in her thirties, still beautiful as ever. Even the mole on her chin was exactly what Hitoka recalled.

“Y-yes.” She stuttered. 

“I'm glad you have not forgotten me, for I have not forgotten you either.”

A shiver ran down the peasant girl’s spine. Memories she’d hoped to forget came rushing back.

“I think of you every night my love.” The woman continued, tracing Hitoka's jaw with her fingertip. “I would hate it if my feelings weren't mutual.”

Once upon a time, Hitoka would have leapt at the chance of having this woman here, in her bedroom. Ever since she was a young girl it had been a woman, not a boy, she'd imagined kissing. One woman in particular. One who had seemed out of her league. Until she wasn't.

“M-my queen. I respect you but . . .”

“Don't call me that! I don't want to be reminded of my relation with that wuss.”

“Of all the Kingdoms, it's said that King Daichi is the wisest ruler.”

“Please. He may be wise, but he doesn't love me that way. I know who he really pines for. He’s probably fucking my brother as we speak.”

Hitoka's eyes widened, but she said nothing. She shouldn't be hearing this.

“Your high - Kiyoko, why are you here?”

“Because I love you, Hitoka. I can't sleep every night looking at Daichi and wishing he was you. I was younger than you when I was forced into this marriage and gave birth to my son. Because I’ve spent my life doing what's asked of me, and for once I want something for myself.”

Hitoka quivered. “But, I’m getting married in a few months.”

The dark-haired woman snarled. “Am I not good enough for you then, Hitoka-chan?”

“N-no, it's just that I can never marry you. But Shouyou . . .” She replied quickly.

“We can marry.” Kiyoko explained. “In a world where men have no domination over us. In a world where we make the rules. In the world of my future. We will be side by side.”

Hitoka took a deep breath. “That may be your vision, but it's not mine. I cannot join you.”

“Am I not good enough for you?”

“It's just-”

“There's no need to explain, my love. I promise you that next time we meet, I will have proven my love to you.”

She was gone before Hitoka could ask her what that meant.


	2. Loathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Kiyoko is bored of her husband, King Tooru doesn't want to come to Shiratorizawa and for once King Tetsurou is scared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wanted to give my chapters titles, but i couldn't think of any cool ones
> 
> *cries*

“Your Highness, I have heard rumors that King Kuroo of Nekoma is conspiring with Fukurodani.” Ennoshita Chikara, one of King Daichi's most trusted advisors announced.

Daichi's brow furrowed in the way it always did when he was thinking.

“I hope they are just rumors, Chikara. Our relations with Nekoma are the best out of all the other kingdoms, and accusing King Kuroo of such a treason based only on rumors would be a surefire way to destroy all Takeda’s hard work.

The eyes in the courtroom fell on the royal treasurer and high steward, Takeda. He cleared his throat.

“Even if these rumors are true, King Kuroo has no reason to attack us. Whatever habits he chooses to indulge in are none of our concern, unless they affect the safety of Karasuno.”

“Besides, though Fukurodani was once a power to be feared, their numbers have dwindled greatly over the past few decades. I believe they are of no threat to our safety.” added Lord Sugawara.

Queen Kiyoko rolled her eyes as the King smiled and agreed with Suga, his face visibly more relaxed. The other members of Daichi's privy council may not have caught the look that passed between them, but the raven haired queen missed nothing. She knew what was going on between those two. Besides, their attempts at flirting were the most exciting part of Daichi's council meetings.

Six people sat at the table in the privy chamber. The king of course; his wife, who had been forced to attend; Lord Sugawara, supposedly this was an honor as he was the queen’s brother, but Kiyoko knew the real reason; Lord Ennoshita, Daichi's childhood friend; his other friend, General Azumane, commander of the military; and Takeda, the wimpy steward. They were supposed to meet every other day and discuss matters of utmost importance, but the queen was sure that the rats in the jail cells could give better advice than those five.

“And the final issue I feel we must address today,” Daichi began. “Takeda-sensei?”

The steward stood up once again. “As you may be aware, after the events of last week, our whole foundation may be in danger.”

General Azumane's face went white. “What happened, Takeda?”

The treasurer shook as he spoke. “Last week, a break in was reported. At first we thought it was nothing, but after doing a second check, we discovered that an important scroll was missing.”

Ennoshita sucked in his breath. “It was the scroll with the combinations for our treasury vaults.”

Gasps echoed throughout the room. Kiyoko had to admit, this was getting interesting.

“I suspect the young king of Aoba Jousai had a hand in this!” Takeda pronounced.

“But Nekoma has always been sly.” protested Ennoshita. “And you know what Shiratorizawa is like.”

“Everyone, quiet. The king must speak!” Suga shouted above the noise. Kiyoko caught Daichi giving her brother a warm smile, until his attention turned to her.

“Kiyoko-chan, please leave us.” he commanded. Unable to outright refuse her husband, Kiyoko curtsied and left the room. She cursed under her breath. For the first time in a while, she actually wanted to hear this.

“KIYOKO-SAN!” Kiyoko’s head whirled around, and she bit back a scream. Why did the world hate her so much? Today, of all days, she had to run into Ennoshita’s twin retards. She was about to spit on them as they knelt down in some sort of prayer, but realized that they would probably preserve it and make it their 'sacred water’. 

“Kiyoko-san, please slap my face!” pleaded Ryu, the one who was practically bald. Kiyoko decided he looked too much like their mother, Lady Saeko, whom she also disliked.

“Hey, Ryu! I'm the only one with that privilege!” protested Noya, the short one. Once, the queen had made the mistake of slapping him, and he now cherished the mark.

“Please, we’ll do anything!” 

Kiyoko was about to flip them off, but Ryu’s last offer sparked an idea in her mind. She turned around.

“Anything?”

~

“For the last time, I am not coming to Shiratorizawa, so you can tell Ushiwaka to fuck off!” King Tooru yelled at the messenger, who quickly ran off.

“Hey, don't blame the messenger.” Iwaizumi Hajime chided. “Also, Shiratorizawa has the strongest army of all the four kingdoms, so telling King Ushijima to fuck off might not be in your best interests.”

Tooru sighed. “He keeps proposing some stupid alliance between our kingdoms.”

“Hmmm. Well, Karasuno and Nekoma are pretty tight, so an alliance with Shiratorizawa might work out.”

“Grovelling to King Ushijima? I’d rather strangle myself. My father never fell for his tricks, why should I?”

“Because you're young and naïve?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Iwaizumi wanted to take them back. He’d known Oikawa Tooru all his life, yet in the past few weeks, after his friend succeeded to the throne of Aoba Jousai, a different side had emerged. This side pushed itself to the limit and beyond, but still didn't feel good enough.

“Tooru, I didn't mean . . .” The spiky haired knight began as his friend’s face scrunched up.

“No, you’re right Iwa-chan. I am too young and naïve. I'll never be able to uphold my father's legacy.” A tear slipped down his cheek. Tooru only let himself cry in front of Hajime.

The tears turned to surprise as the knight roughly cuffed him on the side of his head.

“Ow! That hurt Iwa-chan!”

“Say, 'I am good enough.’”

“Iwa-chan?”

“Just say it dumbass.”

“I-i’m good enough?” Another tear fell down his cheek.

Wham!

“Say it with more conviction or I hit you again.”

“I'm good enough! But I'm not, and you know it. I need to work harder, make up for my lack of experience.”

“Tooru.” Hajime's voice was softer this time. “You don't need to overwork yourself. You must believe in yourself, or else, you're doing what Ushijima wants you to do.” He gently pulled the king to his chest, tangling his fingers in the brown curls.

“You’ll always be good enough for me.”

~

King Tetsurou of Nekoma woke up to a scream.  
“Kenma?” He shook the person sleeping next to him until they woke up.

“Kuro! You’re okay?”

“Shhh, you had a bad dream.” Kuroo pulled his lover to his chest and stroked the bleached hair.

“Kuro, I had another dream. A vision. You were in danger. There was a dark power rising, like a black hole, and it was sucking in everything in its path. You, King Sawamura, King Irihata, and King Ushijima.”

“King Irihata is dead.”

“Kuro, I had a vision warning of his death. It came true.”

Tetsurou took a deep breath in. “Can you tell me anything else that you saw?”

“There was a figure, I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but they had dark hair, and were obviously powerful. King Irihata was the first to be sucked into the hole. Then King Daichi, then King Ushijima, and finally, you.”

The king tried not to look shaken.

“There's a dark power rising.” Kenma continued. “I think it will attack when all four of you are in the same place.”

“King Sawamura's anniversary celebration. He invites all the kings of the kingdoms.”

“Kuro, you mustn't go!”

“I have to, Kenma. Or else it will seem suspicious.”

Tears welled up in the younger man’s eyes. “I don't want to lose you.”

“Then I’d better survive.” 

Tetsurou hoped his confidence would reassure Kenma, but the cat-like man always knew what his lover was feeling. The king himself was trying to find confidence. Kenma’s visions had never lied before, but he had always been able to ignore it. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not including shiratorizawa, they come in later.
> 
> Next time: A banquet that goes horribly wrong
> 
> @Starcass_miseryna have fun in Cuba!


	3. Elimination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating eighteen years of happy? marriage.
> 
> Or: A banquet with all four kings and Daichi is done.

Prince Tobio didn't understand why his parents made such a fuss about wedding anniversaries. He could understand a celebration within the kingdom, but inviting the kings from other kingdoms seemed too much.

 

“Getting overwhelmed, _Your Highness_?” He recognized the sneer from his companion, Tsukishima. When he was young, his mother had somehow conjured up an orphan boy, then forced Tobio to be friends with him. Neither of them liked the arrangement, and the two boys had spent their lives bickering.

 

“There are so many people here!” His cousin Tadashi exclaimed.

 

“Shut up Tadashi.”

 

“Sorry Tsukki.”

 

Tadashi was the third member of their 'group’. Though their conversations suggested otherwise, Tadashi was possibly the only person Tsukishima could get along with, and his father, Suga, was more like a parent for Tobio than his own mother.

 

“Tobio, Tadashi, Kei!”

 

“Uncle Suga?” Tobio recognized the soft voice and silver hair.

 

“You three need to get ready. The banquet will be starting soon.”

 

The three boys rushed off to the joint chambers they shared.

“Tsukki, what should I wear tonight?” asked Tadashi.

 

“Something that looks good?” Tsukishima grumbled, but Tobio didn't miss the _you’ll look good in anything_ that the tall boy muttered under his breath.

 

Tobio was taking a bath when Tsukishima popped his head in.

 

“GET LOST YOU JERK!” The prince yelled.

 

“ _Your Highness,_ an interesting fact just came to my knowledge.” The blond snickered. “Remember the prince you picked a fight with last year. From Aoba Josai, I believe?”

 

“Prince Oikawa?”

 

“He’s _King_ Oikawa now.”

 

“Go away _Tsukki_.”

 

“You know, you could get in big trouble for picking a fight with a king.”

 

“TSUKKI!” Tadashi yelled from the other room.

 

Tobio decided to get out of the bath and put some clothes on, _not_ looking forward to the _king_ he was about to see at the celebration.

 

“You took so long, _Your Highness._ ” Tsukishima drawled. “Not trying to avoid someone, are you?”

 

Tobio glared at his companion. “You better shut your mouth you - aaaah!” Being too preoccupied with Tsukishima, he hadn't been watching where he was going, and a servant had bumped into him. He turned to glare at the culprit, a small boy with bright orange hair.

 

“You dumbass! Now my shirt is stained, and I'm already late for the celebration!” He furiously shook his wine stained shirt.

 

The boy squeaked something and started trying to vigorously clean the Prince’s shirt.

 

“I'm sorry, I don't work here. I'm just here for tonight, please don't kill me.” The boy’s stupidity was annoying, but Tobio didn't kill people for no reason.

 

“Get out of my sight!” He commanded. He sighed, and turned to Tsukishima and Tadashi, who were holding back giggles and muttering something about a 'match made in heaven’. This evening was already going badly, and he hadn't even seen Oikawa yet.

 

~

 

If one word could describe the kings of the neighbouring kingdoms, King Daichi of Karasuno would have used the word 'annoying’. Of course, there were many more creative words he would have used, but annoying would have to suffice.

 

“Dai-chan, why am I seated next to Ushiwaka? Yahaba’s dog is better company than him.” whined King Oikawa, the young king of Aoba Jousai. His father, King Irihata, had been bearable, but the new monarch was far from it.

 

“Be a good guest and stop whining Tooru.” A gruff voice from below scolded.

 

“Sorry Iwa-chan.” The king mumbled.

 

The speaker had been a young knight with spiky hair. Daichi recognized him as the famous Iwaizumi Hajime, aka the real person who ruled Aoba Josai. Apparently he was Oikawa's childhood friend, and they were inseparable.

 

“So how's Tobio-chan doing?” Oikawa asked, and Daichi noticed that his son was late for the feast.

 

“He’s fine. He'll be turning eighteen in nine months.”

 

“He will be the real crown prince then. It must be nice knowing you have someone to take your place, even if he is as dense as Tobio. Not that you’ll die anytime soon, I hope.”

 

“I'm going to ignore the fact that you just insulted my son.”

 

“Think of it as constructive criticism.”

 

Surprisingly, when Tobio did arrive, eventually, Oikawa didn't make any comment, other than flashing the prince one of his signature smiles. Daichi sighed. He had a long night ahead of him.

 

~

 

“Kiyoko-san!” After the banquet had ended and the dancing had begun, Kiyoko was finally free to mingle. Noya tugged her sleeve.

 

“Kiyoko-san!” he repeated. “Ryu and I have found you an ally worthy of your excellence.” Kiyoko was about to brush him off when she saw the man with Ryu.

 

“General Yamamoto?” she gasped and Noya nodded. General Yamamoto was Nekoma’s strongest warrior. If he was on her side . .

 

“My lady, I am not worthy of your excellency!” He cried before bowing down at her feet. He was just like Ryu and Noya. Thanks to her sex appeal, finding allies was easier than she had hoped.

 

She held out her hand for him to kiss. “Swear allegiance to me and my cause.” she commanded.

 

“I swear. Queen Kiyoko, are you not a goddess in human form?”

 

She smiled. “I must have some secrets now.” That comment earned a gasp from her three admirers.

 

~

 

The court was filled with song, dance, and laughter as Daichi watched the happenings from his seat. He let out an exhale of relief.

 

“Stressful, huh?”

 

He turned around to see his brother-in-law, Lord Sugawara Koushi standing behind him.

 

“I guess,”

 

Koushi gave him a warm smile. “Ruling a kingdom is no easy job. I could never do it myself. You’re stronger than you think, Daichi.”

 

A blush spread across Daichi’s cheeks. _Why did Koushi always make him feel that way?_ “Well, I try.”

 

Koushi leaned in closer, and Daichi tried to control his emotions. “To be honest, out of all the kings here, I think you’re the wisest ruler.”

 

“Well, I don’t have much competition.” King Irihata had been a strong and wise king, and Daichi had learned many of his skills from the former, but his son, Oikawa, seemed completely different; young, naive, irresponsible, yet he had some of his father’s ability to bring out 120% in all his followers. King Kuroo of Nekoma had cunning, but Daichi had heard many rumors about his unsavory habits, especially about the male paramour the king kept. Finally, King Ushijima of Shiratorizawa was as cold and unyielding as the lands he ruled. He kept his subjects in order with an iron fist, a high sense of justice, but showed no mercy or compassion to those who disobeyed him.

 

Koushi laid a hand on his shoulder. “You seem distracted today Daichi.”

 

“It’s just the amount of people here.” Daichi loved how he and Koushi could use their first names with each other. In fact, excluding official talks, it had been years since his brother in law had referred to him as ‘Your Highness’. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t reached that stage with Kiyoko.

 

“Lord Sugawara! Will you be my partner for this dance?” A young woman appeared in front of him.

 

Koushi glanced at Daichi, who nodded. The silver-haired man had lost his wife to sickness a few years ago, and he deserved to have some fun. Anyhow, it wasn’t as if Daichi was jealous, right?

 

“Well, Mr Refreshing-kun sure is something.” Daichi snapped out of his daze to glare at his ally, the king of Nekoma.

 

“ _Mr Refreshing-kun?_ This is my wife’s brother!”

 

“Blame Oikawa. It’s another of his stupid nicknames. Anyways, I wouldn’t mind having a piece of that ass.”

 

Daichi looked at Kuroo in horror. “Maybe it’s time you found a wife, Kuroo-san.”

 

“Nah, Kenma’s all I need. Women just aren’t my thing.”

 

_Kenma. That must be his paramour._

 

“What do you want then?” Daichi knew the other well enough to know that he hadn’t come to make small talk.

 

“I have an idea that would be beneficial to both our kingdoms.” He lowered his voice and leaned down to Daichi’s ear. “I hear Seijoh Castle is nice at this time of year, so whaddya say?”

 

“Kuroo, I will not steal the kingdom of Aoba Jousai from its young heir.”

 

The other king just shrugged. “I look forward to discussing it further, _Your Highness_.”

 

Daichi let out a sigh of _I hate politics_ to no one in particular.

 

“Would a drink help my Lord?” He smiled at the familiar soft voice that belonged to his wife, Kiyoko. She beckoned to a small boy with bright red hair carrying a tray of wine and offered a glass to her husband. He smiled and thanked her for it, chugging it down as fast as he could. As soon as he had swallowed it, he felt a strange tickling in his throat. Suddenly, breathing became ten times harder. When he finally realized what had happened, his throat was too constricted for him to speak. The last thing he heard was Kiyoko's scream before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry guys, but like, every daisuga fic ever ends happily, so, being the cruel person I am, decided to kill him.
> 
> Next time: Cersei 2.0 (for those who know game of thrones)


	4. Curiosity kills the cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is divided after the death of King Sawamura Daichi. There is doubt about the queen's true intentions.
> 
> But curiosity kills the cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry, i had to.

Tobio couldn't speak as he watched the scene at the banquet unfold. He’d just witnessed his father's assassination. His mother was screaming at the boy with the wine - the same boy who had run into him on the way to the feast. Everyone in the room was shocked. King Kuroo had gone white, Oikawa was gripping the shoulder of his spiky haired knight, and even King Ushijima, known for his stoic attitude, looked shaken.

 

“Do I now have to call you  _ King _ , Your Highness?” asked Tsukishima. Leave it to him to be cynical at a time like this. The two boys watched as guards took away the redheaded boy, who was protesting that he had nothing to do with the king’s death.

 

“He will be given a trial, and then executed for what he has done.” Tobio's mother reassured him.

 

“What's going to happen . . . to us?” the prince asked.

 

Queen Kiyoko put a hand on his shoulder. “There are still nine months left until you become of age, Tobio. It will be my solemn duty to act as Regent until your eighteenth birthday.”

 

He nodded slowly. He was going to be king in nine months! He turned towards Tsukishima, expecting the blond to make a salty comment, but the latter was just staring at the queen, his eyes narrowed.

 

“What is it Tsukki?” asked Tadashi.

 

“Shut up Tadashi.” he replied, but Tobio knew better. Tsukishima definitely knew something.

 

~

 

A wild storm was raging outside as Iwaizumi Hajime tried to sleep. Even if the night had been clear though, the knight doubted anyone would be able to get much sleep after the fiasco. He still couldn't believe someone had dared poison the king of Karasuno in front of his whole court - and that little redhead was definitely the most unlikely of people. Hajime paced around his chambers for a few more minutes before deciding to go check on Tooru. Surprise, surprise, the room was empty.

 

“Tooru?” he called softly.

 

He repeated the call until he heard a faint “Iwa-chan?” and the sound of soft crying coming from the bathroom. He gently pushed the door open to see his friend lying fully clothed in the bathtub without water.

 

“Tooru, what are you doing?” he whispered, reaching his hand down to the crying boy.

 

A touch to Tooru's skin told him the young king was shaking. He was in shock. Hajime had dealt with this before.

 

The knight knelt down and slowly lifted the other boy out of the bathtub, only then noticing the blunt knife in his friend's hands. Sighing, he sat the taller boy on the floor and inspected his wrists.

 

“Tooru, I told you to stop doing this.” he scolded softly, caressing the fresh red marks on Tooru's wrist.

 

The king murmured something unintelligible like “I couldn't stop, Iwa-chan.”

 

“Come on, let's go to bed.” He picked up Tooru again, and carried him to his large bed. He took care with Tooru's weak knee - the one he’d hurt during a sparring class a few years ago, as he tucked him into bed.

 

“Stay with me Iwa-chan.” Tooru whispered, grabbing the knight's wrist.

 

“I'm not going anywhere.” Hajime reassured him as he climbed into the bed with Tooru, feeling the warmth radiating from both the covers and the body next to him. Tenderly, he brushed his fingers against Tooru's new cuts, provoking soft moans from the other boy.

 

“Don't scare me like that again.” he whispered harshly. “Do you know how worried I was? It could have been you who drunk the poison.”

 

Tooru pressed a soft kiss to Hajime's collarbone.

 

“It's okay Iwa-chan, I have you to protect me.”

 

_ Oh god, I can’t help but love him. _

 

~

 

Tsukishima Kei leaned on the balcony, feeling the night air on his skin. The freshness helped him think.

 

“Tsukki? Are you okay?” Tadashi stood on the balcony next to him, and the blond was too tired to tell his friend to shut up.

 

“Is anyone okay?” he sighed. “Our king was just murdered.”

 

The other boy leaned closer to him and Tsukishima didn't push him away. He could afford this closeness when they were alone.

 

“You’re thinking about something.” Tadashi murmured. “Everyone else is surprised and distraught, but you've realized something.”

 

The taller boy shook his head. “I don't know. I may be close to realizing something though. You saw that little redhead when he bumped into Tobio. He may have been the server, but he's too stupid to be a killer.”

 

“Nice  _ Tsukki. _ ”

 

Tsukishima whirled around to face the newcomer. It wasn't someone he knew personally, but the smug grin and atrocious hair was known throughout the four kingdoms.

 

“King Kuroo.”

 

The king of Nekoma held the blond’s stare. 

 

“So you figured it out then?”

 

“I noticed some things. But I will soon make sense of them.”

 

“Good to know there is a functioning brain inside Karasuno. Makes me feel a lot better about leaving.”

 

“You’re leaving so soon?”

 

“While I sympathize with your kingdom’s problems, it's  _ your _ problems, not mine.”

 

“Really? You think Nekoma won't be affected?”

 

“Oh, I have no doubt it will. That's why I have to leave. To protect  _ my _ people.”

 

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes as Kuroo continued.

 

“It's Tsukishima, isn't it? I'm not prophetic, but something tells me our paths will cross again. I look forward to it.”

 

He winked at the other boy as he left.

 

“He was strange Tsukki.” Tadashi remarked.

 

For once the blond was silent. He finally realized what he’d been missing.

 

~

 

“Your Highness, General Yamamoto has informed me that King Kuroo and his men have departed for Nekoma in the middle of the night.”

 

Kiyoko pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She’d predicted this would happen, King Kuroo was a slippery character, and she’d expected him to catch on.

 

“King Kuroo does not concern me. Yamamoto will deal with him. I am more worried about the other two kings.”

 

She continued. “King Oikawa does not scare me - he is young, and has little experience with kingship. King Ushijima on the other hand . . .

 

“Is still unmarried.” Takeda finished for her. She sat in the council chambers with Noya, Ryu, and Takeda, who, knowing what was good for him, had joined her soon after Daichi's death. 

 

The Queen Regent refrained from making a face. “It is true, sensei, that if it were any other adversary, I would try and seduce him, but this is  _ King Ushijima Wakatoshi _ we’re talking about. I would have a better chance of seducing his horse.”

 

“NOOOOOO!” gasps of surprise erupted from Noya and Tanaka.

 

“I agree with Queen Kiyoko.” Takeda offered. “But knowing King Ushijima, he wouldn't fight us unless we directly attacked Shiratorizawa. Frankly, I say he can keep his snow and ice and freezing temperatures.”

 

Kiyoko nodded. “Still, I would feel more comfortable if we made an alliance with him. Shiratorizawa has the strongest army, and it's been rumored that the king has a thing for the young king of Aoba Jousai.”

 

“That should be one of our first priorities, after we deal with the more . . . internal problems.” Takeda assured her.

 

“Yes. The boy accused of murdering my husband the king. His trial shall take place five days hence, giving Ryu a chance to talk to him.”

 

Ryu smiled viciously, and Kiyoko almost felt sorry for the boy. Almost.

 

“Of course, but what of Daichi's advisors?” Takeda pressed. “Lord Ennoshita, Lord Sugawara, and General Azumane especially?”

 

They could prove to be troublesome. Those three, especially Ennoshita and Sugawara, would probably try to instate Tobio on the throne as soon as they got over their grief. 

 

“Ennoshita is breakable.” she concluded. “Sugawara is already broken, and Azumane . . .”

 

Noya chuckled. “General Azumane may seem tough, but he has a heart of glass. Leave him to me!”

 

Kiyoko nodded her approval, deciding to trust Noya for once.

 

“Lord Sugawara and Lord Ennoshita will try and remove my power and act as regents instead.” Kiyoko declared. “They will take advantage of my son to use the power for their own ends. I cannot let that happen to Tobio.”

 

Takeda smiled comfortingly. “We know how strong a mother's love is for her son. We will do everything we can to prevent that.”

 

~

 

Trumpets in the distance signaled the return of the king.

 

“He’s back early.” remarked Yaku Morisuke, high steward and chief advisor to King Tetsurou.

 

“You heard the news about King Daichi though. His Majesty probably wants to get away from that court as soon as possible.” replied Kai Nobuyuki, the treasurer.

 

“I don't blame him.” mumbled Yaku. “But a few more days without him would have been nice.”

 

“Be careful not to say anything treasonous, Yaku-san.” joked Kai.

 

“Oh please. Who would run Nekoma is I was executed?”

 

“Not the king, that's for sure!”

 

“Uncle Yaku! Lord Kai!”

 

A boy of about fifteen years with spiky brown hair ran up to them.

 

“Inuoka Sou!” Yaku scolded. “It's impolite to greet us before the king! Aren't you his squire, after all?”

 

“Motherly as ever, Yaku-san.”

 

Yaku and Kai dropped down on one knee to acknowledge the newcomer.

 

“Your Highness.” Yaku began. “Welcome home.”

 

“It's good to see you, Lord Yaku, and Lord Kai.”

 

“Shall we get the kitchens to prepare a feast?” asked Kai.

 

Tetsurou shook his head. “I don't have much of an appetite right now. I need to see Kenma. However, Yamamoto and his retinue should be greatful for it.”

 

The steward and treasurer exchanged glances as the king rode off. 

 

“It all comes back to Kenma, doesn't it?” sighed Kai.

 

Yaku just shrugged, and headed towards the familiar laughter of King Tetsurou’s court.

 

~

 

“So, what did you think of everyone at King Sawamura's court?” Yaku and his nephew, Sou, were sitting by the fire in Yaku’s chambers.

 

“Well, King Oikawa looked younger than the others, and  he had this mean looking knight with him, and King Ushiwaka never smiles!”

 

“ _ Ushiwaka? _ ” 

 

“That's what Oikawa calls him. I was talking with Kunimi, his squire. But Oikawa is the only one who dares call him that to his face.”

 

“I see.”

 

The feast had ended, and most people had retired to their chambers, yet Yaku still heard the familiar laughter that was ever present in King Tetsurou's court. 

 

Sou continued telling his uncle about his brief time in Karasuno when suddenly, the door fell down and Kai, followed by Fukunaga, a palace guard, burst in covered in blood.

 

“There's an attack!” Kai was out of breath.

 

“Here? By who?” Yaku knew no adversary who would dare attack Nekoma at its heart. “Why was there no warning? Where is Yamamoto and his army?”

 

“It's Yamamoto and his armies who are attacking us!” cried Kai. “I came to warn the king, but when I looked in his chambers, they were empty. They're killing everyone in sight!”

 

Yaku was frozen with shock. Yamamoto a traitor? There was only one thing he loved more than his king, which was . . .  _ shit _ .

 

“Karasuno's queen! She's beautiful, right?” he asked Sou, who nodded.

 

Kai came to the same realization. “She isn't just a pretty face then.”

 

Yaku turned to his nephew. “Sou, you must escape now! You’ll be killed if you stay!”

 

“Uncle Yaku, I need to fight. I can't run away!” The brown haired boy protested.

 

“They're coming!” yelled Fukunaga. Kai and Sou both drew their swords.

 

“Surrender now, and accept Empress Kiyoko as your one and only queen, and you may be spared!” boomed the voice of Yamamoto.

 

“Never!” The four of them shouted at once.

 

Familiar soldiers wearing the red uniforms of Nekoma barged into the room. Fukunaga fought valiantly, and cut down a man aiming for Yaku before he himself was cut down. Yaku wasn't a swordsman himself, but he screamed when Kai was impaled after being surrounded.

 

“Sou! This is your last chance to escape!” cried Yaku, but his nephew didn't intend to do anything of the sort. Thanks to his small height, Yaku was able to dodge a sword that was swing at him. But he couldn't do it forever.

 

“Uncle Yaku!” Sou cried as he stepped in front of the smaller man to defend him.

 

“Sou, no!” The steward cried as his nephew was viciously beheaded.

 

Yaku felt the cold steel as it touched his throat. Sou was dead. He didn't care anymore.

 

“STOP!” Yamamoto bellowed. “Spare him!”

 

Yaku laughed bitterly. “Can't bare to kill me, can you, General?”

 

“Take him to the dungeons.”

 

As Yaku travelled through the halls, the familiar laughter sounded no longer. Kuroo. Kai. Sou. Only the silence of death remained.

 

~

 

The hooded pair stuck to the shadows while walking the streets of Nekoma. Though they were sparsely populated at this time of night, the two figures couldn't risk being seen.

 

“Where are we going, Kuro?” asked the smaller one.

 

The taller one sighed. “To pay a visit to an old friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Broooooo!


	5. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio visits his father's 'killer', and Kuroo reunites with an old friend.

It was probably an hour after midnight when Tetsurou and Kenma reached the brothel.

 

“Kuro, are you fucking crazy? A brothel at a time like this?” hissed Kenma. “Don't tell me we’re just visiting some whore you happened to fuck recently or something.”

 

Tetsurou shrugged. “Just trust me, okay?” He pushed open the door.

 

Keeping his head low, Kenma saw a woman with short brown hair ordering everyone around.

 

Tetsurou walked towards her.

 

“What the-” she began as she caught sight of the two men.

 

“Yukie.” the former king whispered. “I need your help.”

 

She raised her voice. “You want me, eh? Well that costs extra, but y’know, I wouldn't mind it. Two of you? Well, sharing is caring I guess.” She grabbed them and whispered “Play along!” as she dragged them into a nearby room. 

 

“What the fuck is going on Kuroo?” she hissed when she was certain they were alone.

 

“Yamamoto betrayed me, and slaughtered my entire household!” Tetsurou explained. “It must be connected with King Sawamura's death, and his bitch of a wife.”

 

Yukie nodded slowly. “I figured something had gone wrong. There's a reason I chose this room, y’know.”

 

She double-checked the lock, and opened the closet, which contained a bookcase.

 

“Help me out.” she commanded, and they pushed the bookcase away to reveal a small tunnel.

 

“Follow me. It gets wider.” she assured them while climbing in. Kenma climbed in after her, leaving Tetsurou to take up the rear.

 

True to her word, the tunnel did get wider, and Yukie pulled a candle from the folds of her skirt. She lit it, giving them a dim light to follow. She pressed a finger to her lips, and motioned for them to follow her. Kenma reached for his lover's hand, and Tetsurou gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

 

They walked for what seemed like hours, at Yukie’s slow, but cautious pace. She seemed to be afraid of something, but Kenma couldn't see any immediate danger. Finally, she halted.

 

“I need to get back now.” she whispered. “It's not far now, just keep going straight.” She handed Kenma the candle. “And be careful.” They nodded, and watched her disappear before continuing on their own journey. Kenma had no idea where their intended destination was, but he knew Yukie was being silent for a reason, so he didn't ask Tetsurou as he followed the other.

 

Eventually, they came to a dead end. Tetsurou gently tapped the wall until he found a hollow opening. He motioned for Kenma to enter before going in himself and closing the hatch. They crawled through another small tunnel until light finally appeared. There was a trapdoor above them, with a sliver of light seeping through. Tetsurou knocked loudly, and waited for someone to answer.

 

“We’ll get out of here any moment.” he assured his lover.

 

“Kuro, where are we going?” Kenma asked.

 

“To visit a friend of mine. I promise, they're trustworthy.”

 

Before Kenma could reply that they had also trusted Yamamoto, the hatch opened, and someone passed a ladder to them. They scrambled up a ladder, and faced a boy in his late teens, who looked at them with disbelief.

 

“Take me to him.” Tetsurou commanded, with all his kingly authority. The boy nodded and led them through a long hall. He turned, and pointed to a door with a large mosaic owl on the front.

 

“He’s in there, but I warn you, he’s in one of his 'emo modes’ right now.”

 

Kuroo shrugged. “Trust me, I eat emo modes for breakfast.”

 

They entered quietly to see a man with spiky grey hair lying face down on a bed. 

 

“Akaashi! AKAASHI! Why are you still here? Why did you come back so quickly?”

 

Tetsurou opened his mouth, but the man then turned around.

 

“You’re . . . you’re not Akaashi.” He faltered, then suddenly broke into a smile.

 

“Kuroo!” He ran towards the king of Nekoma and clapped him on the back. Kenma was just confused. Who was this guy?

 

The door opened again. “Bokuto-san, I hope you haven't broken anything while I was-” the newcomer, a dark haired male, stopped short when he saw Kenma and Tetsurou.

 

“Kuroo Tetsurou.” he said, his expression flat. “We meet again.”

 

~

 

Tobio splashed cold water on his face.

 

“Tobio.” Tsukishima was behind him. He splashed cold water on his face again.

 

“Tobio, splashing cold water on your face won't make me go away.”

 

The prince sighed, and turned to face his friend.

 

“What?” he snarled.

 

“How many council meetings have you been to? Especially after the Nekoma fiasco.”

 

“It's been a week since my father died. I don't have to go to his bloody meetings the moment his body goes cold.”

 

“But your mother is.”

 

“I don't care.”

 

“Well maybe you would if you weren't so  _ fucking  _ dense!”

 

“ _ What did you say? _ ”

 

“I said that maybe if you actually had the brain cells to put two and two together, you would realize that the redheaded boy does not have the capacity to kill a king!”

 

“Well who else could have done it? I’ll go tell Mother right away.”

 

Tsukishima hit his head against the wall in frustration. “You really don't understand, do you? You can't go tell her that. King Kuroo figured it out, and look what happened to him!”

 

Tobio just looked dumbfounded. “So I need to keep it a secret or else I'll be killed.”

 

“Yeah, that's the idea.”

 

“But if not the redhead, who?”

 

His friend grimaced. “I have a suspicion, but you're not going to like it.”

 

“If it's Oikawa, I believe I will find it in myself to kill him.”

 

“Well, the wine was kept under close supervision, so the poisoner had to be someone familiar. Someone from Karasuno.”

 

“So Oikawa is innocent?”

 

“Yeah, probably. So, there's only two people I can think of who would have a motive to kill your father. One of them is you, but this was a carefully planned out scheme, so obviously you didn't do it.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Nice, Tsukki.” Tadashi called from the corner of the room.

 

“Shut up Tadashi. The only other suspect is your mother.”

 

“What?” Tobio gasped.

 

“Well think about it, if that's possible for you, she was the one who handed him the drink, and the one who quickly assumed power as soon as your father died.”

 

“No, he's her husband.”

 

“Arranged marriages aren’t always happy unions. I'm willing to bet that the only time they had sex was when they made you. There's probably a reason you're born nine months after their wedding anniversary.”

 

“Oh. I guess.”

 

Tsukishima passed Tobio a black cloak. “Come with us if you want more convincing. Tadashi?”

 

“Ready, Tsukki.”

 

“Where are you two going?” Tobio watched as the two other boys began disguising themselves.

 

“To visit your father's 'killer’.”

 

~

 

Thanks to Tsukishima's plans and Tobio's allowance, they managed to convince the prison guards to let them speak with the prisoner. He was lying on the floor of the cell looking exhausted. Apparently he had spent the past week punching the wall and yelling - he had incredible stamina. 

 

“Wake up dumbass!” yelled Tobio. The boy immediately stood up to face his visitor. 

 

“Wh- why are you here?” he stammered.

 

“Did you kill my father?” the prince demanded.

 

“No! He just went like gawaah and collapsed!”

 

Tobio narrowed his eyes. The boy did seem earnest. 

 

“Who are you?” 

 

“My name is Hinata Shoyou, I am a rice farmer, I'm engaged to Hitoka-chan. She's my neighbor, and I’ve known her most of my life but now we're gonna get married!”

 

“How old are you, ten?”

 

“I’m almost eighteen!”

 

“Dumbass.” Tobio muttered. But he was beginning to see what Tsukishima meant. The boy didn't seem like he had any motive to kill his father.  _ Then who had? Was Tsukishima right again? _

 

“Tobio?” The prince jumped at the sound of his name, and the familiar voice. His heart sunk. Surely he’d been discovered.

 

“U-uncle Sugawara?”

 

“Don't worry, Tobio. I'm not here to catch you. In fact, I believe we are here for the same reason.”

 

“To find out how my father really died?”

 

Suga nodded. “I'm relieved I'm not the only one who thinks the death was suspicious.”

 

“Well, it was actually Tsukishima who realized it, not me.” He didn't reveal the blond's other theory.

 

“Guwaaaah! There are two lords now!” The boy in the cell had obviously spotted Sugawara.

 

The queen's brother nodded. “Be quiet. I'm going to get you out of here.”

 

Tobio gasped. “What do you mean?”

 

The older man winked. “The prison guards are my people. They let me borrow the keys.”

 

The redhead’s mouth dropped open. “You’re so cool, Lord-san!”

 

Sugawara smiled warmly. “Suga is fine. But you have to be quiet, as we don't have much time.” At this, he began unlocking the padlock on the cell.

 

“Come on!” Suga encouraged as soon as the lock was undone. “You too, Tobio.” The three of them quickly ran away from the scene, up the stairs, bumping into Tsukishima and Tadashi.

 

“What the hell Tobio?” Tsukishima asked when he saw the escapee.

 

“Not now!” Suga chided. “We need to get him to my chambers.”

 

The two boys gulped in surprise at seeing the older man, but obeyed him.

 

“Halt! Who goes there?” came a voice from the top of the stairs.

 

Tobio’s face went white. They’d been discovered.

 

“Quickly. This way!” Suga whispered, pulling them in another direction. They ran until they reached a dead end. Or so it appeared. Suga immediately pushed a painting off the wall, revealing a tunnel.

 

“In here!” he gestured frantically. Tobio and the redhead quickly climbed through, Suga following close behind. Tsukishima was about to enter when he paused.

 

“Tadashi isn't here!” he gasped. Suga’s face went white.

 

“Get in Kei, I’ll stay with Tadashi.”

 

The tall blond shook his head. “I'm not leaving without him. Go with Tobio and the other one. I’ll take care of Tadashi for you. I promise.”

 

Suga just stared at Tsukishima, with obvious pain in his eyes.

 

“Go!” The blond insisted as he closed the entrance. Then there was no light.

 

~

 

Lady Saeko did not scare easily. She’d had a rough upbringing, and had seen things many women would faint at the mere thought of. But the king’s death had shocked her more than anything since she had come to Karasuno all those years ago. Especially the toll it took on her husband. Chikara was sitting by the window, staring into space.

 

“I can't believe it.” he murmured. “Daichi is dead.”

 

Saeko knew that as a proper wife, she should go comfort her husband, but  _ she _ wasn't a proper wife.

 

“Get a grip!” She slapped him hard on the back. “Staring into space isn't gonna bring him back.”

 

Chikara winced and rubbed his back. “Saeko, please.”

 

“Come on, you know there's something fishy about his death. Also I don't like the amount of time Ryu and Noya are spending with his widow. Next time I see them, they're grounded.”

 

“Saeko, what have you got against Queen Kiyoko?” 

 

The blonde sighed. “She just acts like she's better than everyone else when she's just like the other women, with their jewelry and frilly dresses.”

 

Chikara laughed. “I know you don't think much of 'normal’ women, Saeko, but she is still your queen.”

 

“She's the dowager queen now. Because her husband's dead. It's Prince Tobio who is king now. Yet it seems as if she's the real one ruling.”

 

“Prince Tobio is still young.”

 

“Come on! He's gonna be eighteen in what? A few months? If his mother will let him, of course.”

 

Saeko watched her husband's face drop as her words sunk in. 

 

“Her own son . . . is it really possible?”

 

“This is Queen Kiyoko we’re talkin’ about.”

 

Chikara stood up and took a deep breath in. “I will defend the rights of my late friend's son. I promise, to you and to Daichi that I will not let this woman take over.”

 

Saeko swelled up with pride.

 

_ Knock.  _ “Lord Ennoshita?”

 

A messenger appeared at the door. Chikara let him enter.

 

“What's the matter?” he asked.

 

The boy trembled. “I bring grave news. Prince Tobio is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, i really love Saeko. She is probably my favourite female character.
> 
> Next time: Many dark things live in the tunnels


	6. Resurfaced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime is informed of a marriage proposal, Kenma learns about the ancient world, Yamamoto finds an unusual way to punish Yaku, and Tobio meets the 'dark creatures' of the tunnels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyy y'all
> 
> sorry, im late to update this, because i didn't have time on tuesday, when i usually update and stuff. tbh idek how many people read this anyways.

“Hajime! You’re back!”

 

Hajime managed a faint smile at the enthusiasm of his friends. He had just returned to Aoba Jousai with Tooru, and he was more on edge than ever. Something was definitely up. First of all, there had been the death of King Sawamura, shortly followed by the death of King Kuroo and his entire household. Which king would be next? The young and naïve one, or the cold and stoic one? 

 

Hajime would never let that happen. He would die before he let anything happen to Tooru.

 

“Hajime, you’re being quiet again.” Hajime turned to glare at his two friends, Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei. He’d known them since he was a child, but he still wasn't sure what they actually did. They appeared to most people as court jesters, but Hajime knew they were more than that. They were the reason Tooru was so informed. But sometimes, like right now, he felt as if the duo had been created by the universe with the intention to make his life hell, because they sure were good at it.

 

“So, I hear Karasuno girls are pretty  _ pretty _ .” Makki prompted.

 

“Ha, I get it,  _ pretty _ pretty!” replied Mattsun.

 

“Will you two just shut up?” muttered Hajime.

 

“You lucky duck Hajime, to be able to have all those girls while I only have Mattsun for company.” commented Makki.

 

“Hey!”

 

“I'm kidding. I don't care about girls. My heart belongs to Mattsun.”

 

“ _ Babe _ , anymore of this and my heart will explode.”

 

“Why don't you just make out with me?”

 

“Uh, I'm still here.” Hajime murmured.

 

“I say you, me, and Hajime's bed.”

 

“But we can't ruin his and Tooru's sacred ground.”

 

“It's not sacred ground!” Hajime protested. “Look, it might be hard to process, but not everyone is a pervert who enjoys fucking on other people's beds. Anyhow, I'm pretty sure you guys have already done it anyhow.”

 

“I could deny it, but that would be lying.” Makki whispered to Mattsun.

 

“Oh Iwa-chan! Take me in your big strong arms and make me scream!” the other mimicked.

 

“Harder Iwa-chan, harder!” Makki replied.

 

“ _ Shut up you guys! _ ” Hajime yelled. “I would say that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, if I hadn't met you two.”

 

“He totally has a crush.” Mattsun murmured. 

 

“Then he won't like our new information.” Makki snickered.

 

“What new information?” demanded Hajime.

 

“ Well . . . “ Mattsun began.

 

“King Ushijima has a new proposal.” Makki continued.

 

“What did he think of this time?” asked Hajime, but he was eager to know. With recent events, an alliance with Shiratorizawa would definitely be favourable.

 

“A marriage proposal.” Mattsun finished. “To the young king you  _ definitely _ don't have a crush on.”

 

~

 

“Akaashi Keiji. Still alive?” Tetsurou asked courteously. 

 

“Unfortunately, so are you.” the dark haired man replied.

 

The white haired man, Bokuto, was just looking at the two men with confusion that mirrored what Kenma was feeling. From what he'd noticed, it seemed as if all three men knew each other, but there was definitely some tension between Tetsurou and the other man, Akaashi. He let out a loud sigh.

 

“Could someone please tell me what's going on?” Kenma huffed.

 

The other three men turned to look at him.

 

“Kuroo! You brought a friend!” Bokuto exclaimed.

 

Tetsurou ignored him and turned to Kenma.

 

“Do you recognize the symbol?” He motioned to the owl crest on the door.

 

Kenma shrugged. “Bokuto-san's face?”

 

The king laughed. “Other than that, where does the owl come from?”

 

Kenma had studied symbols extensively, but he only remembered one organization that bore the owl sigil. Yet, as he gazed again at the predatory bird, he noticed the strong resemblance to the symbol he had seen in a book.

 

“You’re from . . .  _ Fukurodani? _ ” he gasped. “But I thought Fukurodani was extinct.”

 

Bokuto grinned. “You heard about us!”

 

“Well, I just heard the usual story.”

 

Akaashi sighed. “You’d better come with me then.” He slid open a panel on the wall to reveal an entrance to a giant library.

 

Hesitantly, Kenma followed him. Akaashi walked to a table, and picked up a heavy volume. He opened up to the first page.

 

“As you know, before the four kingdoms emerged, there were many small groups, constantly at war with each other. For example, the tribes of Wakunan, Dateko, and Jouzenji were some of the strongest. But the real rulers were Fukurodani, the guild of ruthless assassins. We were feared throughout the ancient world. For the right price, your enemies could be dead before they could even scream. No one was safe from us, and we never failed on a job.”

 

“So what happened?” Kenma asked. 

 

Akaashi's cool gaze fixed him and the other man felt a chill run down his spine. “It was said that us assassins could work magic, but that was just humanity’s way of explaining something they couldn't understand. No, Fukurodani's magic was the tunnels we dug, stretching across what is now known as the four kingdoms. Only a reserved few knew of their existence, and after the organization almost died, the knowledge was mostly forgotten. Kuroo discovered the existence of the tunnels a few years ago, and we found an ancient map in the library to guide us through them. It was through those tunnels that you found yourself here.”

 

“But if you assassins were so great with your tunnels and stuff, why did you disappear?”

 

“We weren't magical, Kozume Kenma. There are things in this world that even we couldn't fight.”

 

Was it just Kenma, or had the room temperature just gotten colder?

 

~

 

Yaku hated the cold stone floor of his cell covered with straw that always seemed to get underneath his clothes. It was scratchy and annoying. Yamamoto had explained that as his high status had been revoked, he was now a common prisoner and should be treated as such. Why he kept the former lord alive, Yaku had no idea.

 

He was woken with a sharp jab in the ribs. 

 

“Wake up shorty!” the guard’s gruff voice muttered. “You’ve got company.”

 

_ Company? What was Yamamoto playing at now?  _

 

His eyes widened in surprise as the guards roughly shoved another person into the cell with him.

 

“A high Lord and a lowly thief. You two should get along perfectly.” the guard announced. Yaku realized what the guard meant by company now. Not only was his cell already cramped and uncomfortable, but now he had to  _ share _ it with someone. Sighing, he looked up at his new roommate.

 

Really looked up. The person standing next to him was probably almost as high as the ceiling. He was a boy, probably around Sou’s age with silvery hair, but  _ how could anyone be that tall? _

 

“I don't get it. Why don't they make the ceiling higher?” the newcomer asked.

 

Yaku stood up to his full height which seemed pathetic compared to his new companion’s.

 

“Ah. I see  _ you _ wouldn't have that problem.” the tall boy observed.

 

“Oi! Be careful what you say to me!” Yaku shouted, delivering a swift kick to the boy's backside, causing him to fall down.

 

“Hit a sore spot eh,  _ senpai? _ ” The boy teased.

 

“DO YOU WANT ME TO KICK YOU AGAIN?”

 

“N-no.”

 

“Good.” Yaku smiled and extended his arm.

 

“Yaku Morisuke. Former high steward of Nekoma. I ended up here thanks to the treachery of General Yamamoto.”

 

The silver haired boy took the hand offered to him. “Haiba Lev. I stole a fish from a market stall and ended up here.”

 

“Lev? What kind of name is that?”

 

“It's pronounced  _ Li-ehf. _ My mother was a foreigner.”

 

“I see. I look forward to having to put up with you for the rest of my life.”

 

~

 

The tunnel was dark and cramped, but it didn't seem like they’d been followed. 

 

“Where are we?” Tobio whispered to Sugawara as the passage began to widen.

 

“Tunnels. They're old - they were built a very long time ago, but must've been forgotten. Daichi and I were the only ones who knew about them. Of course, I don't know where they lead or anything.”

 

“Guwaaaah! This is so awesome! It's like an adventure!” Tobio was sadly reminded of the ginger prisoner they'd broken out.

 

“Shut up dumbass.” he mumbled.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Please don't start fighting, you two.” Suga reminded them. “I'm trying to figure out our next move.”

 

“I believe I can help you with that.” a voice drawled from the shadows. The threesome turned around to see glistening fangs emerging from every angle.

 

“Prepare to die.” The voice repeated. It belonged to a young man in his early twenties with soft brown hair. If it weren't for his fangs, he wouldn't have been intimidating at all.

 

“Vampires?” Suga gasped. “I thought you were extinct!”

 

“Beware of the darkness. It hides a lot.” Another vampire whispered, a tall, scary, boy with cold eyes and white hair. The redhead let out an 'eek’ at the sight of him.

 

“It's been a while since a human dared set foot here.” This voice belonged to a brunette with hair falling in his face. “We are hungry.”

 

Tobio's skin crawled. Was this how he was going to die?

 

“I'm sorry.” Sugawara murmured as their attackers drew closer. “Daichi never told me the tunnels were inhabited.”

 

Suddenly, as if by magic, the vampires froze. The one with soft brown hair scrutinized Suga’s face.

 

“Daichi?” he demanded. “You knew Daichi?”

 

Nervously, the silver haired lord nodded. “I am his wife's brother.” he explained. “And this is his son.” He gestured towards Tobio.

 

Their attackers slowly began to withdraw at the man’s command.

 

“I will spare you.” he promised. “But you must come with us back to our lair.”

 

Silently, the trio followed the vampires through the dark tunnels. Tobio couldn't see much, but he was sure that he stepped on a dead rat carcass at one point. Finally they reached an illuminated room.

 

“Wait here.” The brown haired man commanded. “Aone, Futakuchi, stay with them.” The tall white haired vampire and the brunette stood at their side, making escape practically impossible. 

 

“You guys must be special.” the brunette, Futakuchi, commented. “It looks like Ikejiri is taking you to see Michimiya.”

 

Tobio had no idea who he was talking about. Suga was staring into space with a look of sadness on his face and the dumbass was glaring at Aone, the tall white haired guard.

 

“These are the prisoners.” Ikejiri had returned. With him were two figures. 

 

“What's so special about them, Ikejiri? I don't see why you spared them.” The taller figure protested.

 

“Daishou, allow Hayato a chance to explain himself.” The smaller figure, most likely a woman, cut in.

 

“They knew Daichi.” Ikejiri explained. Tobio had no idea why these vampires seemed to respond to his father's name, but it definitely left an impact on the female figure.

 

“ _ Sugawara Koushi? _ ” she gasped as she saw Suga.

 

Suga just looked confused. “Have we met?”

 

The woman composed herself. “No. I'm sorry for my rude outburst. My name is Michimiya Yui.”

 

“These humans annoy me. Especially this one. We should dispose of them.” Daishou declared, pointing at Hinata.

 

“No, Daishou. I would like to speak with them.” Michimiya commanded. “I would like to speak with Sugawara in private. Ikejiri, stay here and make sure the other two remain unharmed.”

 

“Of course.” Ikejiri bowed, shooting a smirk towards Daishou.

 

~

 

Kiyoko marched angrily through the courtroom. 

 

“How could you let this happen?” she shouted. “How could you let them escape?”

 

“I-I don't know. They just . . . disappeared.” Tanaka whimpered. “Kinoshita and Narita couldn't catch them.”

 

“Well maybe you need better lackeys!”

 

“Y-yes Kiyoko-san!”

 

“Your Highness, to avoid further questions, we have announced that Prince Tobio is dead, for he and Lord Sugawara assisted in freeing a traitor who murdered your beloved husband, and it would be on pain of death that they return.” Takeda explained.

 

“Hmm. Good.” Takeda was definitely more shrewd than she’d first imagined. She would have to be careful.

 

“However, not all of Tobio's associates managed to escape. We succeeded in capturing Lord Sugawara’s son and the blond giant.”

 

Kiyoko knew those two, Kei and Tadashi. Tadashi was a shy, freckled boy with meagre self esteem, but Kei’s intelligence could be an asset. If only there was a way to make him collaborate.

 

“RYU! NOYA! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!” All of a sudden, the door burst open and a tall blond woman burst in. 

 

“Lady Saeko! This is an important court meeting. Would you kindly wait outside until we have concluded?” Kiyoko demanded.  _ And can you go die in a hole while you're at it? _

 

“ _ Your Highness _ , I must see my sons. They're grounded.”

 

If there was anyone at this court Kiyoko despised even more than her husband, it was Lady Saeko, the wife of Lord Ennoshita. Like the queen herself, Saeko came from beyond the kingdoms, but while Kiyoko had been the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Saeko came from a tribe of savages and even her many years at court hadn't changed her ways. She spoke as she pleased to anyone, no matter their station, and assumed she was better than any civilized woman. 

 

“I think you are forgetting, my lady, that  _ I  _ am Queen Regent, and I may do as I please with my subjects.”

 

“I don't care about this 'queen regent’ bullshit. They're  _ my _ sons.”

 

“Lady Saeko, if you do not go wait outside, I will have guards come and escort you out. Forcefully.”

 

“Of course  _ you _ would. You’d never get your hands dirty that way,  _ Your Grace _ . I guess I'll leave you to 'grieve’ for your dead son!” Saeko spat in Kiyoko’s direction before turning her back and leaving.

 

“Ennoshita definitely needs to learn how to control his wife.” Takeda remarked. 

 

“The day  _ Ennoshita _ can control her will certainly mean the apocalypse.” Kiyoko jested.

 

“Very true, Your Highness. However, before we conclude this court, I have one last announcement. You asked me to find another advisor, yes?”

 

The queen nodded.

 

“Well, it took a lot of convincing, but I have found a man I believe to be suitable. He is in fact descended from the founder of Karasuno, and still bears the name Ukai, but he works presently as a rice farmer.”

 

“Can you bring him in?”

 

“He is waiting outside.” Takeda called to the guards, who opened the door and a blond tanned man walked in.

 

“Queen Kiyoko, I now present to you, Ukai Keishin.”

 

_ Ukai Keishin? That name was definitely familiar. _

 

“Thank you for joining us, Ukai-san.”

 

Ukai bowed. “I admit, your Grace, at first I was reluctant to become your advisor. Politics ain't my thing, but Takeda here wouldn't take no for an answer, so you should thank him, not me.”

 

“Oh, I know how much Lord Takeda is worth.”

 

“It would be an honour to serve you, my queen.”

 

“I look forward to collaborating with you, Ukai-san. However, I would ask a favor from you.”

 

“Name it.”

 

“You have a daughter, do you not?”

 

“Yes. Hitoka-chan.”

 

_ At last _ . “I would like Hitoka to come and serve me as my handmaiden, if you would allow it.”

 

“Unfortunately, Hitoka is grieving over the loss of her betrothed, yet I believe this'll be a great opportunity for her. She’ll be here by nightfall tomorrow, I promise you.”

 

Kiyoko smiled to herself. Perhaps today wasn't such a bad day after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> likes and comments keep me motivated, so please leave some!


	7. The boy I loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo reminisces about his past with Bokuto.

“Take that, traitor!” the guard roughly pushed Tsukishima onto the hard floor of the cell. Normally the blond would have offered some kind of salty response, but his face was too swollen to speak. He leaned against the back of the cell and sighed.

 

“Stupid prince.”

 

What had Tobio been thinking, that he could break the prisoner out of his cell and get away with it? To be honest, he wasn't that surprised. He had learned years ago not to be astonished by the Prince’s denseness. He just wished His Highness hadn't dragged Tsukishima and Tadashi into it.

 

“Tsukki?”

 

He turned around and realized he was not alone in the cell. His freckled friend was with him, looking mostly unharmed. Tsukishima breathed an internal sigh of relief.

 

“Tsukki, what happened to your face?” Tadashi was practically hovering over him, concern evident across his features.

 

He tried to say something, but his swollen lip and jaw wouldn't let him. Instead, he grabbed his friend’s shoulders and pulled him into a desperate hug. He didn't care if anyone saw them. He was just glad that Tadashi was safe. For now.

 

“Tsukki.” Tadashi murmured, gently stroking the bruises on the blond's face. For some reason, the pain seemed to subside a little. 

 

“Mmmm.” he moaned, as Tadashi leaned his head against the crook of his friend's neck. Tsukishima massaged the other boy’s hair.

 

_ I love you _ . He thought.

 

Tadashi's breaths tickled his collarbone, and for a moment, he could close his eyes and imagine that he was somewhere other than this cell with a face so swollen he could barely speak.

 

But there was one thing he was thankful for. He wasn't alone. He had Tadashi. Tadashi was unharmed. And Tsukishima was going to keep it that way. Whatever it took. He gently pressed his lips to his friend's forehead and felt the other boy smile against his neck.

 

“I love you Tsukki.” Tadashi whispered.

 

_ I love you too. _

 

“Alright lovebirds!” A man with a shaved head appeared at the door to their cell. “You’ve had your lovey-dovey time.” he announced.

 

“Yeah!” A short man with spiky black hair joined him. “It's now time for . . .”

 

“TORTURE!” 

 

~

 

“Kenjirou, please listen to me. You know this is madness.” Lord Semi Eita tried not to let his desperation show.

 

“Eita, you know I don't have any influence over him.” Prince Kenjirou of Shiratorizawa protested. 

 

“You’re his brother! If anyone has influence over King Wakatoshi, it would be you.”

 

“You know that the only person who has influence over him these days is  _ him _ .”

 

_ Him. _ Tendou Satori. The red plague that had spread to their king. The one that was threatening to infect the whole world.

 

“Believe me, I know. This is poison, Kenjirou. We  _ need _ to put an end to it.”

 

“How? By killing him? We both know that won't work. He has some kind of magic that makes him impervious to mortal weapons or poisons. And Wakatoshi won't listen to reason. He's completely brainwashed.”

 

“If it's the last thing I do, I  _ will _ find a way to save our king.”

 

“Eita, don't speak like that. You know what happened last time.” Kenjirou touched Eita's wrists, reminding him of the scars hidden under his sleeves. He remembered well. 

 

“I know how to take care of myself.”

 

“I really don't know anymore. You’re so stubborn, and I can't help but worry. You don't have to fix the world's problems, Eita.”

 

The silver haired man pulled away from the prince.

 

“If I don't fix the world's problems, who will?”

 

~

 

Eita pulled the hood up over his head as he entered the tavern. Having grown up in these parts, he was no stranger to them, but he preferred not to be recognized.

 

“Straight beer please. Two for the road.”

 

The innkeeper, a short elderly man with bushy eyebrows, turned abruptly at the sound of ShuEita’s voice.

 

“Eita-kun? Back again? Well, only been like,  _ five years _ I guess.”

 

“Washijo-sensei, scold me later. I need to see Tsutomu.”

 

“Boy! Get Lord Semi a straight beer. And be quick about it!”

 

A boy at the side of the bar quickly started making something. Washijo turned back to Eita.

 

“So . . . Eita-kun, havin’ fun with King  _ Mooshijima _ ? So much fun you forget about them people who raised you?”

 

“I'm here now. Of course I still remember you, Washijo-sensei. There's a reason I haven't come back. I'm here to see Tsutomu, not you.”

 

“Yes my lord?” The boy in the back of the bar had arrived with Eita’s beer. It took the noble a moment to recognize him.

 

“Goshiki Tsutomu? You’ve grown. Well, except for your hair. I remember it being long.”

 

“His hair’s grown! It's grown worse!” Washijo put in.

 

“I cut it my lord.”

 

“Boy! Don't call Eita-kun that! He used to be just like you, y'know! He may seem all posh n’ pampered now, but I remember when he was jest a lil’ thing like you, livin’ in the dump n’ eatin’ dung.”

 

“I don' eat dung, sensei. Them other kids don't let me have any. I been tryin’ to tell them I'm the king's son but they say my hair is too stupid.”

 

Neither Eita nor Washijo offered any comment.

 

“Tsutomu, and I suppose Washijo too, I have an important question. Has anyone other than me come to visit you?”

 

“Well I'll be damned if they did. You nobles ain't been givin’ a shit about me or me business. I mean, I shoulda received at least some reward for taking in the king's castoffs.”

 

“ _ Taking him in _ ? I got the impression that you threw him onto the streets to live off dung like you did for me.”

 

“Eh! I’ve met mules who’re better workers than this boy here, but I let him stay, even though he can't do shit!”

 

“Okay, so you’ve never been visited by a man with spiky red hair?”

 

“I'll be damned if I have!”

 

“Tsutomu?”

 

“I've never seen a man like that either.”

 

“Okay. Thanks.”

 

“Eh! Leaving so soon Eita-kun?”

 

“Yes, Washijo-sensei.”

 

“Without payin’? What about me reward?”

 

Eita sighed. He pulled his purse out of his pocket. 

 

“Here. Tsutomu. Go buy yourself something other than dung.” He handed the boy a gold coin. “Washijo-sensei, here's for all the trouble I've caused you.” He slid another one towards the old man, and left before the other could complain.

 

It was getting darker, and therefore colder by the time Eita returned to the castle. He wondered whether the prince would still be awake.

 

“Hey! Semisemi!”  _ Shit _ . This was the last person he wanted to meet at the moment.

 

“Please don't call me that.” 

 

“Where haaaave you been all day? Your friend the prince was worried.”

 

“Nowhere you need to know about.”

 

“Back to your beginnings, eh?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“Well, I hope you're still loyal to Wakatoshi-kun, or else I might have to break you again.” The red haired priest gave him a last wink before disappearing down the hall.

 

~

 

Koushi gave one last glance to Shoyou and Tobio before following Michimiya.

 

“Are you sure they'll be fine?” he worried. He really didn't trust the vampires not to attack, especially Daishou. 

 

“Ikejiri will make sure your friends remain unharmed. The taller one, he’s Daichi's son, you said? Your nephew?”

 

“You seem to know all about me, yet your name and face don't seem familiar.”

 

“My given name is not the name I was born with. And how I know you? You’re right, we’ve never met. But we might’ve. If I hadn't died, I may have been your wife.”

 

“What? Who are you?” Koushi had been married to Runa, one of his mother's maidservants, before she passed away, but he never remembered being engaged to anyone else. Definitely not this woman. She looked much younger than him, but he knew vampires didn't age. He wondered how long she’d been like this.

 

“If I told you my birth name, you would recognize it.” She took a deep breath in. “Sawamura.”

 

“ _ Sawamura? _ That's Daichi's name! Are you . . .”

 

“His sister. Princess Yui. He believes I’m dead. I've missed him. A lot. But going into the world above would be too risky.”

 

“But what do you mean, were we engaged or something? I don't even remember Daichi having a sister.”

 

“Karasuno's economy was failing, so my parents wanted a connection outside of the four kingdoms. Your father was a rich merchant and sea captain with the blood of Jouzenji, one of the ancient families, in your veins.”

 

Suga nodded. He knew all this. It was the reason Daichi and Kiyoko had married.

 

“However, my parents did not want your blood on the throne. So they decided to offer my hand in marriage to you. Besides, Daichi and I were eighteen, like you were, whereas Kiyoko was only thirteen.”

 

“I'm guessing you became a vampire before our marriage could happen then.”

 

“Yes, that's the gist of it. But I would like to ask you for a favor, Lord Sugawara. I have no idea what's been going on in my former home. Give me some news of my brother the king.”

 

Koushi felt his throat constrict as he remembered the banquet, watching Daichi fall to the ground, being unable to do anything. Then he realized something.

 

“If you’ve been a vampire since before Daichi and Kiyoko's marriage, how do you know your parents are dead? I met them before the wedding, and you weren't there? How do you know Daichi's the king?”

 

A murderous grin spread across her face. “Because I killed them.”

 

“You  _ killed _ your own parents? Why?”

 

“Long story. It doesn't matter now. What about my brother?”

 

Koushi took a deep breath in. “He’s dead. He was . . . poisoned at his wedding anniversary. I don't know who, but it might have been my sister. Tobio’s mother.”

 

Michimiya's eyes narrowed. “I knew he shouldn't have married her.”

 

“Anyways, Shoyou, the redhead, was accused, but I believe he's innocent. Tobio and I tried to rescue him, and ended up here.”

 

“I see.”

 

“She has my son though. I plan to get him back.”

 

The vampire woman looked deep in thought. “Shoyou, the redhead. Where's he from?”

 

“I don't know. He's a peasant boy. Why?”

 

She snapped out of her daze. “No reason. Come on, let's go make sure Daishou hasn't killed your friends.”

 

~

 

“Here are your rooms, Kenma-san.” The boy, who Akaashi had called Onaga, led him to a small and cozy chamber. Kenma nodded and entered. His heart leapt with joy when he realized that Tetsurou was there too.

 

“Kuro!” Kenma rushed into his boyfriend's outstretched arms. Ever since they had arrived at Fukurodani, they hadn't been given an opportunity to rest until now.

 

Tetsurou hugged him tightly. “Come on, let's clean up.”

 

A few minutes later, they had both stripped off their dirty clothes and were relaxing in the warm bathwater Fukurodani had provided.

 

“Kuro, how do you know about this place?” Kenma asked.

 

“I . . . knew Bokuto, a while ago. He was my childhood friend.”

 

“You never mentioned him before.”

 

“Well, our relationship was kind of rocky.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Okay.” Tetsurou threw up his hands. “He was my first. Happy now?”

 

“So you and Bokuto . . .”

 

“No. Well, kind of. We were friends who . . . did things. I loved him, okay? But he didn't feel the same thing for me, though he didn't mind fucking me just to keep me happy.”

 

“So how did it end.”

 

“Fate.” Tetsurou sighed. “And Akaashi Keiji.”

 

~

 

_ Sunlight was spilling across the meadow. It was spring and the grass was as green as Tetsurou had ever seen it. It would have been a beautiful scene, if only he wasn't so lonely. He tossed the small ball he had spent the whole afternoon making into the air, wishing he had someone who could catch it.  _

 

_ “It's just me and you.” he whispered to Neko, his black and white cat who had found a spot to sunbathe. He watched the cat purr, wondering what it would be like to be a cat. Suddenly, the object of interest jumped to her feet and arched her back, hissing at something behind him. _

 

_ “What is it baby?” he turned around to realize he wasn't alone. Another boy had entered the meadow. He was about Tetsurou's age, but his skin was bruised and blood matted his hair. An owl brooch was pinned to his cloak - his face did look like an owl and in one hand he clutched a bloody stake. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Tetsurou, not with fear, but an innocent curiosity.  _

 

_ “Please, I need somewhere to wash.” _

 

_ Tetsurou forgot how to form complete sentences. _

 

_ “Uh, there's a stream over there.” he pointed in the direction of the stream that ran through the meadow. _

 

_ The bloodied figure paused and turned back to face Tetsurou. _

 

_ “Um, this may sound weird, but could you come with me? To wash? I just don't really know where I am.” _

 

_ That was the first time Tetsurou caught that intense golden stare. It wouldn't be the last. Little did he know, he was screwed. _

 

_ “Okay.” _

 

_ His hair was silver beneath all that blood. It had streaks of many different shades running through it, and Tetsurou wondered what it would be like to touch that hair. He had cast aside his blood soaked clothes of black, white, and gold and was bathing naked in the river. It was the first time the ten year old boy had been unable to tear his eyes away from the perfect back. Again, it wouldn't be the last time. _

 

_ “Who are you?” Tetsurou finally worked up the courage to ask. _

 

_ The boy smiled. “My name's Bokuto Koutarou! I'm from underground!” _

 

_ “Underground?” _

 

_ “Yep! But I ran away. It wasn't safe.” _

 

_ “Is that why you were covered in blood?” _

 

_ “No! I hunt vampires!” _

 

_ “Vampires exist? I’ve never seen one before.” _

 

_ “That's because I'm gonna kill them all.” _

 

_ “Oh. Okay.” _

 

_ “Who are you?” _

 

_ “I'm Kuroo Tetsurou, prince of Nekoma. One day, I'll be king.” _

 

_ “I'll help you. I'll kill anyone who challenges you. Together we'll be invincible.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in bokuroo hell when i wrote this, and will continue to be for the next few chapters, so be warned. XD
> 
> Next time: Tooru and Hajime have a fight


	8. Hearthrob

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daishou has a fetish for royal blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so i was going over the tags again, and i realized that i forgot to add iwaoi (the horrors)
> 
> also, changing the chapter titles again, because friends just doesn't suit the mood, does it?

“Marry Ushiwaka? Iwa-chan, you know I can't do that! This is just his latest scheme to get me to come to his stupid kingdom!”

“Tooru!” Hajime exclaimed. “How could you turn this down? You know what the queen of Karasuno's like. She was probably behind the Nekoma massacre, and maybe even murdered her own husband!”

“Worse than Ushiwaka though?”

“It's the lesser of two evils. If we form an alliance with Shiratorizawa, we’ll be strong enough to at least defend the kingdom from her.”

“But I don't love him.” Tooru protested.

“Did you expect to marry someone you loved?” Hajime demanded. “You’ve known since birth that your duty is to your people, not to yourself. You have to do this, Tooru. For them.” This was the hard truth. Hajime had never lied to his king, and today wasn't the day he’d start.

Tooru moaned and leaned into the knight’s arm. “Fine. I’ll marry Ushiwaka if it's for the best. But I'm not giving him a reply just yet. I'm looking at the two evils.”

“What do you mean?”

“I've asked for an audience with Queen Kiyoko. To discuss relations between our two kingdoms. I'll be leaving for Karasuno soon.”

“What? Why didn't you tell me? What were you thinking?”

“I knew you'd act this way! You would have insisted that I should marry Ushiwaka without even considering the alternative.”

“Tooru, this woman is dangerous. You're walking right into her trap.”

“Do you know what it's like, Hajime? Do you know how much stress I have to deal with? It's easy for you to say all those things about my duty, because it's not you who has to deal with the people’s anger when there isn't enough food! It's not you who gets blamed whenever something goes wrong! It's not you who has to marry a man twenty years your senior who is as dense as molasses and cold as ice! It's so easy, isn't it? Telling me about my duty and everything, but you don't even know how hard I'm trying! Maybe I just wanted to be a normal teenager for once? Maybe I didn't ask for a kingdom weighing down on my shoulders? But you know what? I got stuck with it, and I have to make wise decisions. So that's what I'm doing!”

Hajime felt the anger bubbling up inside him, and he couldn't stop it.

“Okay. Go to Karasuno. Why should I care if queen bitch kills you? Maybe Aoba Jousai is better without its young, naïve, irresponsible king!”

The knight’s face remained cold and unyielding as he pretended to ignore the tears welling up in his friend's eyes.

~

Daishou Suguru was restless. He wanted to kill. It had been a long time since he'd fed on warm blood, felt the squirming and struggling of living prey, the fear laced into the crimson liquid that seeped so freely out of humans. He wanted the warm, metallic taste on his tongue once more.

A hand connected with his face, snapping him out of his daze.

“No.” Hayato whispered. “Don't even think about it Suguru.”

Daishou resigned himself. The dark haired prisoner, supposedly Prince Tobio of Karasuno, seemed fierce. The vampire could sense his impatience and urgency to get out of here. His long neck would be a delight to suck on. 

But the other boy, the small ginger, was different. He was simply bubbling with energy. In fact, he was overflowing with it. Something about him made Daishou want to shy away, as if his light had no place in the vampire’s darkness. He couldn't even seem to touch him. He was unlike anyone Daishou had ever met.

“So, are you guys like, really old or something?” The bubbly boy asked. “I heard that vampires were immortal.”

Yes, and very strong too. We could break your neck in a simple flick of a wrist.

Futakuchi however, smiled at him. Actually smiled back at him! 

“Yeah. We were sired before you were even born! Takanobu and I lived during the era before the Four Kingdoms even existed! Our clan, the Dateko Clan, was the strongest clan at the time! Suguru and Hayato are also from that time!”

“Wow! That's so cool. What's your name, by the way? I'm Shouyou.”

“Futakuchi Kenji. This is Aone Takanobu, he may seem scary, but he's just shy. Over there are Ikejiri Hayato and Daishou Suguru.”

Aone always looked scary, with his height and intense stare, but Suguru could tell that he was also put off by the boy.

“You're so cool Futakuchi-san. This is Tobio, Prince of Karasuno. He's really grumpy.”

“Shut up dumbass.” Tobio scolded. 

Shouyou shut up, and Suguru silently thanked the prince. The redhead may be annoying, but Tobio’s dark nature excited him. He wanted to taste it.

One day, Tobio of Karasuno, I will taste your blood. Then I will make you mine.

~

Ryuunosuke. That was the name of the baldy. Tsukishima remembered him. He was Lord Ennoshita's son. The short one was his brother, Noya. They were probably about five years older than him and Tadashi. As he recalled, they’d been crazy about Queen Kiyoko, so he wasn't surprised to see them as her lackeys.

“Okay, so we can either get this over with, or we can have some fun.” Ryu informed them. “Do you two swear allegiance to Queen Kiyoko?”

“I would rather gouge my own eyes out.” Tsukishima replied.

Their captors rubbed their hands together in anticipation.

“Okay Ryu. Time to bring out the toys.” Noya murmured.

Tsukishima knew they meant the torture implements. He didn't care. If they thought they could break him with pain, they were wrong. He had endured so much physical pain throughout his life that it didn't hurt anymore.

Noya wheeled in a chair and a box of sharp implements.

“This is your last chance to surrender.” Ryu reminded him.

The blond laughed. “If you think you can break me with that chair, you must be an ignoramus.”

They looked at each other in confusion, being to dimwitted to know the definition of the word he’d just used, but soon regained their menacing expressions.

“Oh, we have more experience then you might think. Shall we start?”

“Yes. Strap him into the chair.”

Tsukishima waited for them to grab him, but no one touched him.

“Strap me up then. What are you waiting for?” he sneered.

“You don't understand, do you?” Noya whispered. “You're not the one being tortured.”

He watched in horror as they dragged Tadashi to the chair and strapped him in.

Ryu gently touched the freckled boy’s arm.

“I saw you stroking his face with this arm, right?”

Tadashi nodded.

Suddenly, a loud crack filled the air, mixed with Tadashi's scream. His arm lay limp at his side, obviously broken.

But Ryu wasn't finished. He grabbed a fire poker and melted it over the flames. When it was red hot, he violently thrust it against his victim's collarbone. Another scream.

“Stop! Please! Don't do this to him!” Tsukishima had seen enough. He was close to tears. He didn't want to watch Tadashi get hurt. He should've known they would use this against him.

“Hmmm. Do you swear allegiance to Queen Kiyoko?” Noya demanded, and Ryu pressed the poker against Tadashi's ribcage.

“Yes! Yes! Just please stop hurting him.”

“So, I guess we can break you. You'll do whatever her Highness asks you to. If you don't, then well . . .”

“We have your friend.” Noya finished.

~

Tetsurou liked spring. Not because of the flowers or the warmth, or even the fresh smell. He liked it because Koutarou liked it. It made the owl boy smile. And seeing him smile made Tetsurou smile too. He was fifteen years old, and hopelessly in love.

“Spring is so beautiful here.” Koutarou observed one day. They were lying side by side, shoulders almost touching. “Everything is beautiful up here.”

“What do you mean, up here?” Tetsurou asked. The other boy had been living in Nekoma five years now, but he didn't talk about where he came from. Koutarou had said he'd come from the underground, but never explained.

“Do you know what's under the Four Kingdoms, Tetsurou?” Koutarou whispered. He never whispered unless he had something important to say.

“No.”

“Well there are tunnels. Many tunnels. They were been built long ago, but they've endured. There are also people who live in those tunnels. People who have been forced underground. My people.”

“Who are they?”

“Have you heard of Fukurodani?”

“Weren't they assassins? I saw pictures in my history lessons.”

“That's where I come from. But we're not assassins any more. We don't hunt people. We hunt dark unearthly creatures who threaten to destroy our world.”

“So you really hunt vampires.”

“I hunted vampires.”

“Why did you leave then?”

“The leader. He scared me. Told me I was unnatural. Hurt me. I had no choice but to run away.”

Tetsurou knew that Koutarou wasn't the most mentally stable. He suffered from extreme mood swings, and many times the dark haired boy had found his friend lying in a ball with a pocket knife, making red marks on his perfect skin. But he hadn't known how bad his life had been before Tetsurou had entered it.

Suddenly, the other boy started to cry, his sobs coming out in little gasps.

“I ran away!” he moaned. “I was such a coward. I ran away and left Akaashi to suffer.”

Tetsurou gently pulled his friend into his arms, stroking the beautiful silver hair.

“You did what you had to do. Maybe it was the universe's way of showing us we were meant to be together.”

Koutarou smiled at his best friend. He looked so cute and vulnerable, caught in Tetsurou's embrace. It would have been so easy for the dark haired boy to kiss him. He could've just leaned down and pressed their lips together. Maybe if he had, it would have changed their whole future.

But he didn't.

~

Hitoka was shaking. 

No. she thought. Don't make me do this.

“Hitoka!” Her father's voice echoed. “Are you almost ready to visit the queen?”

I could never be ready for that.

“Almost, father.” She splashed water over her face and took a deep breath in. She was screwed.

The walk to the castle took almost two hours, but for Hitoka it could have taken seconds. It went by too fast. Where were the bandits to massacre them on the road? She would have chosen bandits over her near future.

When she arrived at the palace, the queen was waiting. 

“Ukai-san, thank you so much for bringing your daughter here. May I speak with her alone?”

Ukai bowed and left Hitoka to her fate.

“Hitoka-chan. It warms my heart to see us reunited.” Queen Kiyoko announced when they were alone.

The blond shivered. “Of course, my lady.”

“You will address me as Kiyoko. I have already told you that we are not strangers to each other.”

Unfortunately, we aren't.

“I understand, Kiyoko.”

The older woman approached her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You're so submissive today, Hitoka-chan. I preferred you when you had some fight in you.”

“I'm tired.”

“Ah. Would you like me to show you to your living quarters?”

“Yes please.”

She followed the dark haired woman through the palace halls to a large room. It was fancier than anything Hitoka had ever seen in her life.

“Am I really sleeping here?” she gasped.

Kiyoko smiled. “Not yet. That's my room. Yours is attached.”

She led the younger girl to a door on the opposite side of the room. She opened it to reveal a staircase.

“Your room is down these stairs.”

Hitoka slowly descended into living quarters that weren't as extravagant as Kiyoko's, but were still luxurious compared to her former room. In fact, they did look comfortable.

“Thank you, Kiyoko. They seem wonderful.”

Was it her imagination, or did the dark haired woman blush?

“You may sleep today, but tomorrow I want you at my side the whole day. I have an important meeting with the king of Aoba Jousai. Come with me, and observe. You might learn something.”

“I understand.” 

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she felt a hand run through her hair. But when she looked up, it was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting does not go exactly as planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am probably about to post a lot of chapters, so be warned

Tooru was in a huff as he reached the Karasuno palace. Often nicknamed 'Crow Castle’, after the onyx crow standing over the portcullis, the sigil of the Sawamura dynasty, it was made of a black brick with twin towers that were visible for miles.

 

Of course, though Crow Castle was spectacular, its beauty was minute compared to Seijoh Castle. The main fortress in Aoba Jousai was made of blue and white iron and had many different buildings. It was even older than the Four Kingdoms themselves. It had been completed by King Moniwa, ruler of the ancient clan of Dateko. The most amazing part though, was the iron wall. The people of Dateko had been known for their fortresses, especially the iron walls they had built around them. The iron wall at Seijoh was too destroyed to have been of any use in defence, but the ruins were there, reminding every passerby of their former strength.

 

“King Oikawa!” Someone called out. Tooru realized he had reached the castle. He turned to Sir Watari, his escort.

 

“I will meet with the queen soon. I will see that your men have a place to rest.”

 

The man greeting them bowed. “I'll see to that.” He had bleached blond hair and spoke with an accent that was obviously not nobility.

 

“My name is Ukai Keishin.” he continued. “Her Majesty is waiting to see you.”

 

_ Ukai? _ Tooru had heard that name before. But he couldn't recall where from.

 

“Your Highness, would you like me to escort you to Queen Kiyoko first?”

 

“Thank you Ukai-san. I would like to see the queen as soon as possible. I'm sure my retinue can wait a few minutes.”

 

Sir Watari nodded in agreement.

 

_ It should be Iwa-chan here with me. _ The thought nagged at the young king. They did everything together. He couldn't remember a time when the knight wasn't at his side. But his friend was being stupid. Tooru would show him he was worthy. He would show everyone. No one would call him young and naïve anymore.

 

“She's waiting in here.” Ukai opened the door to a large courtroom. The only people in the room were Queen Kiyoko and a blond servant girl in the corner.

 

“King Oikawa.” she greeted him in a cool, guarded manner.

 

“Queen Kiyoko.” he replied in the same tone. Whatever game she was playing, he could play it too.

 

“May I call you Tooru? I think you and I should be on a first names basis.”

 

Iwa-chan was the only person who regularly used that.

 

“If you wish.” He was becoming painfully aware that the queen was very beautiful for a woman ten years his senior. He'd never really paid much attention to women's beauty before, but Kiyoko made it hard to ignore. She had worn a low cut dress that left almost nothing to the imagination, and he had to make sure his gaze stayed on her face. He also realized that the dress looked  _ very _ easy to remove, and she probably wasn't wearing anything underneath. 

 

“King Tooru?” He jerked back into focus, embarrassed. Queen Kiyoko was now standing in front of him.

 

“W-what?” he asked.

 

“I was saying that Karasuno is still willing to export Miracle Weed to Aoba Jousai. Ukai-san reports that we have an abundance of it.”

 

“Uh yeah. Miracle Weed is great.”

 

“Hmmm.” She came even closer and started fingering the collar of his shirt. “You seem distracted.”

 

He raised his hand to remove hers, but stopped when he felt how warm it was.

 

Kiyoko turned to the servant. “Leave us, Hitoka-chan.”

 

The girl obeyed without a second thought.

 

The queen turned back to Tooru. Their hands were still touching. Then all of a sudden, she slipped and fell into his lap.

 

He wasn't stupid. He knew it wasn't an accident. But for some reason, he didn't mind holding her there. She was so close - he could smell her perfume.

 

“I love your hair.” she whispered as she began running her fingers through his chocolate locks.

 

He blushed, but didn't push her away. And he was getting hard.

 

She noticed too.

 

“Well,  _ someone _ obviously likes me.” she purred. Suddenly, she pressed her lips to his. Against his will, he found himself kissing back. He didn't put up any resistance as she slid her tongue inside his mouth.

 

Tooru had always been popular with the girls. But he'd never met any who really meant anything to him. He'd never really done anything more than kiss. But it was obvious kissing would not satisfy Kiyoko.

 

She pulled away, and he saw the reason why. She had already unlaced his breeches and drawn out his member. 

 

“Why don't we make this a  _ very _ special meeting?” she murmured.

 

Before he could reply, she slipped down in between his legs and began to suck his cock, sliding her tongue along the entrance, making him moan. Finally, he came inside her mouth.

 

She let go, and came to face him at eye level again.

 

“Now it's your turn.” she whispered. He stiffened. He had never done this before. What if she noticed?

 

Smoothly, he put his hands behind her, and removed her gown in one swift motion. She  _ was  _ beautiful. And she was barely wearing anything underneath it. He removed his own clothes, and lay her down on the table before climbing on top of her.

 

“Your dress was ugly. You look better without it.” he told her, attempting dirty talk.

 

She licked his neck in response.

 

“Mmmm.” she moaned.

 

He closed his eyes as he thrust into her, trying to picture her in his mind. He ran his hands through her hair.  _ Iwa-chan has dark hair too; it looks spiky, but it's actually very soft. _

 

He opened his eyes, and realized with dismay that she wasn't like what he'd imagined. Her skin wasn't as tanned, her hair was wrong, and her voice was too high pitched.

 

Kiyoko smiled at him. “This is your first time, isn't it?”

 

He nodded, embarrassed. “I’d been saving it for someone special.” 

 

_ Oh god. What did i just do?  _ Sudden realization hit him.

 

Suddenly, the door burst open. A young man with blond hair with two black lines round the sides was standing at the entrance, looking confused. Tooru gasped in recognition.

 

“Uh, wrong door.” he murmured, and quickly exited.

 

The queen looked horrified. “Is he part of your escort? You should have him executed!”

 

Tooru knew the intruder - he was the bodyguard of his bastard brother, Prince Yahaba. His real name was Kyoutani, but the king had dubbed him 'Mad dog-chan.’ He was like a feral dog who only answered to Iwa-chan, and sometimes Yahaba.

 

_ Iwa-chan. He wouldn't want me to kill Mad dog-chan. _

 

Suddenly, Tooru sat up, realizing what he had just done. He'd been so stupid. Kiyoko wasn't the one he loved. She wasn't the one he'd been saving his virginity for.

 

“So, where were we?” she smiled flirtatiously.

 

The young king glared at her. “ _ Whore. _ ”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You're a fucking whore. Do you really think I'm so naïve that I would fall for that? I can't believe you even tried. You know what? Aoba Jousai isn't trading with Karasuno anymore. Have all the Miracle Weed you want. I won't associate with a bitch like you anymore.”

 

She looked horrified. “You will regret this, Oikawa Tooru.”

 

“No, you will. Because Iwa-chan was right. I'd marry Ushiwaka a thousand times before ever looking at your face again.”

 

~

 

_ He should've known. Good things could never last. Something would eventually end Tetsurou and Koutarou's relationship. Unfortunately, that something came too soon. His name was Akaashi Keiji. _

 

_ It was winter, but not very cold. Even in the darkest winter day, Nekoma was still pleasant. In fact, the summers were scorching hot, making winter a welcome release. But this one would be nothing like that. _

 

_ “This is probably the only place where winter is better than summer.” Koutarou commented one day. They had escaped to the brothel they frequented, because it had the most beautiful garden in the back, and Yukie, the owner, got along well with Koutarou. _

 

_ “How would you know? You've never been anywhere but here.” Tetsurou reminded him. _

 

_ “Hey! I've heard things.” _

 

_ Koutarou leaned over and laid his head in Tetsurou's lap. The dark haired boy kneaded his friend's hair. This kind of touching wasn't unusual. They were seventeen and spent almost every moment together. They had slept together, in both ways, yet Tetsurou knew that his feelings for his owlish friend weren't returned. Koutarou enjoyed the attention, but his heart didn't yearn for Tetsurou the way the other’s did for him. _

 

_ The bedhead was about to make a joke when the doors to the garden flew open. The two boys jumped up to face the newcomer. He was dark haired and attractive, but his eyes were colder than winter in Shiratorizawa.  _

 

_ “Bokuto-san.” his voice was unemotional. “I've finally found you.” _

 

_ Koutarou's surprised expression morphed into a smile. “AKAASHI!” he exclaimed. _

 

_ The owlish boy had mentioned an Akaashi a few times, a friend from his childhood. _

 

_ “What's going on?” Tetsurou demanded. _

 

_ Koutarou jumped up. “This is Akaashi Keiji, my childhood friend. Akaashi, this is Kuroo Tetsurou, prince of Nekoma.” _

 

_ “Thank you for taking care of him, Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said, shaking the other's hand. His hands were as cold as his gaze. _

 

_ “How did you find me?” Koutarou gasped. “I thought I'd never see you again!” _

 

 _“Fukurodani has many eyes.”_ _Akaashi replied. “You never know who might be watching.”_

 

_ Tetsurou got the feeling that last comment was aimed at him. _

 

_ “So why did you come?” Koutarou asked. _

 

_ “Fukurodani is different now.” Akaashi explained. “I'm asking you to come back.” _

 

_ “I don't know yet.” _

 

_ “Please, think about it.” _

 

_ ~ _

 

_ It was near midnight when Tetsurou woke up to an empty bed. Koutarou usually slept with him, but the other boy was nowhere to be seen. _

 

_ He searched through their whole sleeping quarters, to no avail, until he recalled that Akaashi was staying at Yukie's brothel. Quickly slipping a cloak around his clothes, he made his way over there. When he entered the garden, he heard the whisper of voices. _

 

_ Koutarou and Akaashi were there. Sitting  _ very _ closely together. He inched closer to hear their conversation. _

 

_ “He's gone. You're safe. No one will hurt you anymore.” Akaashi whispered.  _

 

_ “I know.” Koutarou replied. “But he hurt  _ you _ , didn't he? I'm such a coward! I ran away and left you to suffer!” _

 

_ Tetsurou felt some sympathy for Akaashi. He could sense an 'emo mode’ coming on. _

 

_ But before Koutarou could say anything else, Keiji reached up and traced his jaw. _

 

_ “We're together now. That's what matters.” _

 

_ Tetsurou watched slack jawed as his friend visibly relaxed, even sliding an arm around the younger boy’s back. _

 

_ “I really missed you, Keiji.” _

 

_ “I missed you too, Bokuto-san.” _

 

_ “ _ Koutarou _. Call me Koutarou.” _

 

_ Suddenly, the owlish boy leaned down and pressed his lips against Akaashi’s. Tetsurou watched as their kiss deepened. But it was the words that Koutarou whispered when they broke apart that tore Tetsurou's heart in pieces.  _

 

_ “I love you Keiji.” _

 

_ ~ _

 

_ “I'm leaving with Akaashi.” Koutarou spoke his mind, as always. Tetsurou nodded grimly. He had been expecting this. _

 

_ “Okay.” _

 

_ “I really enjoyed my time with you. But this is my destiny. I can't escape it.” _

 

_ “I know.” _

 

_ Tetsurou spent the day alone. It was agonizing, but he knew he had to get used to it. _

 

_ “You love him.” Tetsurou turned at the sound of Akaashi’s voice. _

 

_ “What does it matter? You took him away from me.” _

 

_ “You're important to him than you know.” _

 

_ “Obviously not important enough.” _

 

_ “We all have to make choices, Kuroo Tetsurou. Sometimes there is no right choice. Sometimes we do things that cause us great pain.” _

 

_ “Easy for you to say. You won.” _

 

_ “For now. But you'll recover. I've seen it. You'll find love again.” _

 

_ “Whatever. Just leave already.” _

 

_ “If you ever need us, Yukie knows where we are.” With that, Akaashi Keiji left, taking the love of Tetsurou's life with him. _

 

_ ~ _

 

Ikejiri led them through the tunnels to a room. There were many rooms like this underground, but apparently this room belonged to Shouyou and Tobio.

 

“This is for you two to sleep in.” he told them. “There will be guards at the door to make sure nothing happens.”

 

Tobio got the feeling the guards weren't there to prevent an escape.

 

“What about Suga-san?” Shouyou demanded.

 

“Michimiya is dealing with him.”

 

The door closed before they could reply. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Tobio began pacing.

 

“This is your fault, dumbass!” he burst out suddenly. “If you hadn't gotten caught this never would have happened!”

 

“I don't even know what happened to me!” Shouyou protested. “I'm a farmer. One day I was asked to serve wine at the anniversary, and promised lots of riches, so I accepted. Then the king died after drinking wine from my tray, and I was taken away to the dungeons!” 

 

Tobio sighed. “I know you're not guilty. You're too stupid to conceive a scheme like that.”

 

“HEY!”

 

“Dumbass!”

 

At the same moment, they jumped for each other, wrestling on the floor. Tobio was heavier, but Shouyou was fast and persistent. He also had amazing stamina.

 

Finally, after five minutes of intense fighting, they pulled apart, breathing heavily.

 

“What have you been doing the past seventeen years?” Tobio demanded. “Your skills are wasted on a farm.” He rubbed his bruises for effect.

 

Instead of replying, Shouyou turned around so he wasn't facing Tobio. He seemed really upset.

 

“Did you think I had a choice?” he yelled. “I wasn't born a prince like you!”

 

The prince was stunned silent. Then he scrunched up his face.

 

“You think being a prince automatically makes you happy? My father was murdered because he was a king by my  _ mother _ ! And even before that, she never acted like a mother to me. Suga was the closest thing I had to that! The only close thing to friends I had was Tsukishima and Tadashi who probably didn't even like me. They were just forced to keep me company because nobody else wanted to.”

 

“Well you're scary. Maybe that's why. And you never smile.”

 

Tobio tried to smile, and the other boy screamed.

 

“Ahhhh! Your smile is creepy!”

 

The dark haired boy blushed and tried to cover his face. “Well it's not like I usually smile.”

 

“Maybe you should try to be nice to people. Instead of looking scary and calling them dumbass all the time.”

 

“I don't try to look scary. But I guess I've just looked scary all my life. That's probably why no one likes me. Why my mother ignores me.”

 

“But you'd probably look really handsome if you weren't so dark all the time.”

 

Tobio blushed. “You think so?”

 

Shouyou suddenly brightened. “You just smiled! For real!”

 

“Uh, okay.”

 

“Tobio?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“When you actually smile, it looks really nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, that was one of my first times writing a sex scene, and that was just how detailed i could get without feeling awkward.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi has a flashback.

The sound of trumpets signaled the return of the king. Hajime frowned. Tooru was back earlier than expected. He watched at the window, waiting for his friend to come into view.

“Sir Iwaizumi!” A voice called from the doorway. Standing there was Kyoutani, Prince Yahaba’s bodyguard, nicknamed Mad Dog-chan by Tooru. His expression looked like he'd seen a ghost.

“What is it?” Hajime demanded.

“When I was in Karasuno, I saw something I probably shouldn't have.”

The knight didn't like the sound of this. “Go on.”

“I accidentally walked into the throne room and saw King Tooru and Queen Kiyoko . . . fucking.”

Hajime sucked in his breath. “Are you sure?”

“Well they were naked and he was lying on top of her, on the table and doing-”

“Okay. I’ve heard enough.” Remind me never to sit at that table again. “Kyoutani, you are excused.”

As the bodyguard left, the knight allowed himself to collapse a little on the table. Tooru. The Queen. He should’ve expected this. He should’ve been more forceful. But the young king could be pretty stubborn. Something else was nagging at him though. Disappointment? He knew she had been Tooru’s first. He resisted the urge to spit on the ground. He was too good for her.

Well, it had to happen at some point. A voice in his head whispered. It’s not like he was saving it for you or anything.

“SHUT UP!” Hajime growled. He shouldn’t be thinking those things.

Ha. As if it would stop this time. He didn't even remember when he first realized the love he felt for his best friend. Probably since the day he'd been brought to the palace as a companion for the prince. In fact, he couldn't remember a time where he had yet to meet Tooru. At first he had believed the prince was a stuck up, spoiled crybaby, but over time, that ugly crier had evolved to be his best friend. Even when Mattsun and Makki had entered their lives, Tooru had remained the person he loved most. Growing up with Tooru, Mattsun, and Makki had been the best childhood Hajime could've hoped for.

What if Tooru hates me now? Hajime had accepted that the tall boy would never return his feelings, but he had hoped they would always be friends. 

Side by side. In this together.

He should've been there. If he had failed his king, he would never forgive himself.

“Iwa-chan, I'm back!” a cheery voice at the door announced. “Did you miss me?”

He's acting as if we never had that fight. Fine with me. “Actually, the palace seemed a lot quieter while you were gone. I was just getting used to it, then you came back.”

For a moment, a flicker of pain passed across Tooru's face, but it was gone in an instant. “Iwa-chan, will you be my best man?” his friend suddenly demanded.

“What the heck Tooru?” Hajime was confused.

The king sighed. “You were right. I'm going to marry Ushiwaka.”

With that, Iwaizumi Hajime felt his heart plummet.

~

“General Azumane.” Saeko threw aside her cloak once they were alone.

“L-lady S-saeko.” For all his military prowess, the tall man with his long hair pulled back into a knot was actually very shy amongst women. Especially Saeko, whose attire was nowhere near the realm of decency. She was in fact wearing her most normal looking clothes today, trying not to intimidate him.

“Y-your husband and I are f-friends. I d-don’t want to betray him.”

Saeko rolled her eyes. “Please. If I were going to cheat on my husband, I'd at least do it with someone who wouldn't confess to him the moment he got the chance. Besides, you're probably young enough to be my son.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Chikara knows I'm here. He sent me. I have a message for you. About Prince Tobio.”

“Isn't Prince Tobio dead?”

“Perhaps. But you know Tsukishima, his accomplice, the guy who's being locked up for helping a traitor escape? The same traitor who was apparently killed alongside Tobio and Lord Sugawara? Well he somehow managed to send us a note saying Tobio wasn't dead.”

“H-how?”

“He didn't explain. He's in captivity, so what did you expect? But Chikara has a plan to break Tsukishima out of jail and find Tobio to reinstate him. Will you support us?”

Azumane sighed, and gazed out the window. “I don't want a war.”

“You're the fucking head of the military for God’s sake!”

“Okay. You have the support of the military, if you manage to find the prince.”

Saeko grinned. “You can bet on it.”

~

“So, I hear you two were part of that foolish rescue mission attempted by the prince and Her Majesty's brother.” Ryu stated.

“Unfortunately.” Tsukishima replied.

“So, tell me what happened to the prince after you were captured.”

“I wouldn't know. I was captured.”

A loud whipping sound followed by Tadashi's scream made the blond wince. Obviously that wasn't the answer the torturers were looking for.

“WHERE DID TOBIO GO?” Ryu demanded. “ANSWER HONESTLY OR YOUR LOVER BOY WILL PAY FOR IT!”

“Tsukki!” Tadashi cried. He tried to say something else which was cut off by another lash and scream. Tsukishima didn't know what to do. He was a horrible friend, letting them do this to Tadashi. He should be the one taking the pain, not his innocent freckled friend. He tried to buy them time, even bribing a guard to send a letter to Lord Ennoshita, but time was running out. Tadashi's time.

The final scream was too much.

“PLEASE! Stop hurting him. I'll tell you what you want to know.”

The baldy paused, considering this. “Where's the prince and Lord Sugawara then?”

“I don't know where they went, but I know how they escaped. There's a secret tunnel in the wall, behind a painting. They escaped through there.”

“The queen will like this information. You will come with us tomorrow and if you lie, your lover will suffer like he's never suffered before. Do you think I'm bluffing?”

The tall boy knew he wasn't.

“And as another reward, you will be given half an hour to spend with him tonight.”

How could he face Tadashi after all the suffering he had put the other boy through?

Guards escorted him to the room Tadashi resided in it was little more than a jail. The freckled boy was slumped on the floor, but brightened when he glimpsed the newcomer. Tsukishima rushed over to him.

“I'm so sorry. This is all my fault.” he murmured.

“Tsukki, you're wrong.” Tadashi sounded surprisingly confident. “It's my fault. You could've escaped if it hadn't been for me.”

“I wouldn't leave you. You know that.” But his friend was right. Tsukishima basically had all the freedom he'd previously had - not that it mattered though. If he tried anything, it would be taken out on Tadashi. 

The weak hand gripped his. “Tsukki, I've always looked up to you and admired you. Please don't lose that strength now.”

The blond was about to protest that he had always secretly believed Tadashi was cool, but the other wouldn't let him.

“I love you Tsukki. If you love me back, please promise me this; you'll escape at the next opportunity you have. Don't think of me, think of the future. You must be strong for both of us.”

He tried to blink back the tears. “Okay. I will.”

“Visiting hours are over!” Ryu barked. For once, Tsukishima ignored him, pressing a kiss to Tadashi's lips. The other boy kissed back, full of desperation.

Then Ryu dragged them apart and it all ended.

~

“Kuroo is here.” Keiji let the statement hang, waiting for Koutarou's response. At the moment, Kuroo and his paramour had gone to explore the tunnels with some Fukurodani people.

“It's been years! He's changed so much!” the owlish boy gushed.

Keiji sighed. Koutarou wore his heart on his sleeve and never held back his true feelings. The dark haired boy couldn't understand how he was genuinely so cheerful and upbeat. But he loved it. He was enchanted by the beautiful smile, and how he treated everyone with genuine kindness, even if he'd never met them. His contagious excitement. That was probably why Kuroo had fallen in love with him. But Kuroo could never have Koutarou in the way he wanted. The owlish boy’s heart was too big for one person alone.

“Really?” Keiji wondered how much Kuroo had really changed. Sure, he had someone else now, but Keiji doubted he had forgotten the silver haired boy who had swooped into his life. Few people forgot Bokuto Koutarou.

The latter wiped a tear from his eye. “I really miss him sometimes, y’know?”

Keiji pulled his boyfriend into a hug. “Sometimes you have to make choices. Trust me, the right choice is usually the one that hurts the most. The one that makes everyone hate you. It takes a unique strength to do that.”

Koutarou snuggled into Keiji's chest. “How long have you been practicing that speech?” he giggled.

Suddenly, Keiji's throat dried up as the memories resurfaced.

“Sometimes you have to make choices. The right choice is often the one that hurts the most. The one that turns everyone against you. It takes a unique strength to do that.”

Angry tears welled up in the teen’s eyes. “You're a coward!” he screamed. “I'll never be like you!”

Then he raised the sword.

“Keiji?” Koutarou was staring up at him. “Are you okay?”

I’ll never be like you.

“I'm fine.” he insisted, regaining his composure.

Fortunately, his boyfriend wasn't very observant, or just chose to ignore the fact that his lover was obviously not fine. He pulled Keiji into a tight hug and kissed his forehead. 

“I love you Keiji.”

The dark haired boy knotted his fingers in the silver hair and closed his eyes.

I'll never be like you.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone's relationships are fucked up.

“I'm going to be Nekoma’s ruler!” Lev announced proudly one day.

 

Yaku sighed. Had it really only been a few days since the massacre? Lev was certainly making it feel longer. Or maybe it had been longer. He had no idea how much time had passed.

 

“You know,” he began, “as steward of Nekoma, I did a lot of the ruling, and I can assure you that unless you're born into the royal family, there are certain standards you have to reach to get the position.”

 

“Well they must’ve been low then.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Well if you could reach them, they must've been pretty low.”

 

The shorter man furiously kicked his cellmate in the rear.

 

“Yaku-san! I'm sorry! I just made a small mistake, okay? Y’know what small things are like cause, y'know-” Realising what he'd just said, he covered his mouth.

 

“Twenty five push ups next time we're let out for exercise! With  _ me _ on your back.”

 

“Oh, that's not too bad, you're not that big-”

 

_ Wham!  _ “Fifty!”

 

“I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!”

 

“Ah, Lord Yaku. You do know there are punishments for killing your cellmate, right?”

 

General Yamamoto was standing at the entrance, surrounded by guards, and a young girl, his little sister.

 

“So sharing with  _ him _ isn't meant to be one?” Yaku asked mockingly. “I hadn't noticed.”

 

The mohawk man laughed. “You have been stripped of your title. Therefore, you are no better than this common thief. However, I have an offer for you.”

 

“I hope it involves permanent separation from Lev.”

 

“When the late King Kuroo reigned, he played around a lot, and we all know who was the real ruler of Nekoma.” Yamamoto began. “You kept the kingdom intact, and helped it flourish. You have a talent that I need more of in my council chambers. Therefore, I am asking you to swear allegiance to Queen Kiyoko and return to your position as steward for Nekoma-Karasuno.”

 

_ Nekoma-Karasuno? _ “I assume that I will have to serve underneath  _ Her Majesty. _ ”

 

“Of course.” 

 

“Then I refuse.”

 

Yamamoto scowled and eyed Yaku before turning away.

 

“You'll regret this soon.” he promised.

 

“Yaku-san! Why didn't you accept that offer? You could've been ruler of Nekoma!”

 

“I would rather spend another day with you than serve beneath that bitch queen who probably had her husband murdered.”

 

“Awww, really? You're so cute, my little child.”

 

“I'm at least ten years older than you!”

 

“Ah! I forgot! You're just so short!”

 

“Lev, did you get brain damage from hitting your head on the ceiling?” Yaku demanded. “Or were you always this stupid?”

 

“I don't know. But what's up with the hair of the guy who just came in? He was pretty scary. The girl was kinda cute though.”

 

“Lev, that's Yamamoto Akane, and she's thirteen!”

 

“So? I'm only twenty. Do you think he'll come back with another offer? If he does, you should accept.”

 

“There are things more important than power in this world.” Both men turned at the new voice in their conversation. It came from the cell across the hall. The one covered in cobwebs that appeared empty. However, an old man was poking his head between the bars and laughing. 

 

“You two are the best entertainment I've had in many years!” he chuckled. “I've been listening to your conversation this entire time.”

 

~

 

“Hitoka-chan. I know you're in there.” the Queen's voice called from the doorway. Taking a deep breath in, she opened the door and allowed the dark haired woman enter.

 

“Hello.” she muttered.

 

Kiyoko placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you may be angry with me, but I did what I had to do.”

 

“I just don't believe you should make allies by fucking them.” Hitoka stated.

 

“I use whichever method I deem suitable. As a woman, you will often be looked down on by men as inferior, and they never take you seriously. But the one thing that men need women for . . .” She leaned in so close that the blonde could smell the older woman's breath. “Is the thing between your legs. If not for women, who would bring forth the next generation of men? But we are much more than breeding flock. I intend to show that to the world.”

 

Hitoka scrunched up her face. “No wonder they call you a whore. The only reason you  _ have _ followers is because they see you as some sort of sex goddess. But they don't know the real you. Count yourself lucky. And the others? They're just sucking up to you and waiting for a chance to take power because they don't believe a woman can rule. However, I beg to differ. I believe a woman can rule as well as any man. But men aren't always wise, or strong. Neither are women. Neither are  _ you _ .”

 

Hitoka was trembling by the time she had finished speaking, but she caught the look of shock on Kiyoko's face. Suddenly, that shock turned to rage.

 

The older woman grabbed her arm, digging her nails in. Hitoka let out a yelp of pain. The other woman smirked.

 

“We have to do something about that disobedience, don't we?” she whispered, leaning down so her face was level with Hitoka’s. “You have a fire in you. But what happens when it meets the real thing?”

 

“I-” the girl began as she was dragged towards the hearth. Her eyes widened as she saw the fire she had made earlier. Kiyoko’s eyes held no hint of mercy as she pushed the younger into the fire, holding her to prevent an escape. Hitoka tried to scream as the flames licked her back, but the queen muffled it. She closed her eyes and hoped for death until suddenly she was withdrawn from the scorching heat. She lay on the floor, trying to catch her breath, and was met with a hard kick in the side.

 

“Cover those burns by tonight, and don't tell anyone what happened here.” Kiyoko was staring down at her. “Or your father suffers.”

 

With that, she left, leaving Hitoka alone in her pain. Finally, she allowed the tears to come.

 

~

 

“I'm coming to Shiratorizawa, Ushiwaka. Your dreams are coming true!” Tooru announced to no one in particular. Ever since they had set out for Shiratorizawa, the king had been unusually cheerful. Of course, Hajime knew it was insincere, so it irked him.

 

Prince Shigeru pulled his scarf around his face more firmly. 

 

“It's so cold here, don't you guys think?” 

 

There were five people riding at the head of Tooru's escort. The king himself, Hajime, Tooru's bastard brother Prince Shigeru, his bodyguard Kyoutani, and Kunimi, Tooru's squire. Following closely behind were Mattsun and Makki, probably making jokes at Hajime's expense.

 

Tooru shrugged cheerfully at Shigeru's comment. 

 

“It builds character, doesn't it, Mad dog-chan?”

 

Kyoutani grunted.

 

“I bet being married to Ushijima also builds character.” Makki had joined the conversation along with Mattsun.

 

Tooru glared at them.

 

“Hey, if Ushijima is bad, I wonder what it would be like to be married to Iwaizumi?” Mattsun inquired.

 

Now it was Hajime's turn to scowl.

 

Tooru laughed. “ _ Please _ . Iwa-chan may seem mean and grumpy, but he's a big softie once you get to know him.” The king winked and did his signature gesture where he held up two fingers.

 

“Of course  _ Iwa-chan _ has a soft side.” Makki whispered to Mattsun.

 

“To be honest, I thought it would be more of a  _ hard _ side. When you get to know him of course.” Mattsun replied.

 

“Hey, I'm not the only person in the world!” Hajime reminded them. “Find someone else to tease for once.”

 

“But  _ Iwa-chan _ , we love your reaction!” Makki exclaimed.

 

“Actually, we can tease someone else.” Mattsun announced. “So Kunimi, anything interesting happen last night?”

 

The squire blushed furiously. “H-how did you know?”

 

“We see everything.” the jesters repeated in unison. “We are the eyes and ears and tongues of Aoba Jousai.”

 

“Okay, now you're just being creepy.” Shigeru told them. They both wiggled their tongues at him in response.

 

“So what is up with Kunimi-chan then?” Tooru asked. After a glance at the younger boy’s face, he understood. “Ah. Someone's in love.”

 

“Oh. My. God.” Makki suddenly exclaimed. “Is it who I think it is?”

 

“Oh. My. God.” replied Mattsun. “The turnip guy we met at the market?”

 

“He's called Kindaichi.” Kunimi murmured. “And it's just a coincidence that his hair looks like his merchandise.”

 

“So did you two hook up then?” Mattsun demanded.

 

“No! We're not like that. I just went to say goodbye for a while.”

 

“Come on, there's no shame in fucking someone.” Makki protested. “Mattsun and I did it last night.”

 

“I know.” Hajime sighed.

 

“But you were on the other side of the castle!”

 

“ _ Exactly _ .”

 

“Well, bro, you got some nice ass.” Mattsun reassured his boyfriend.

 

“Mattsun! You'll make me come in front of everyone!” Makki screamed.

 

“Don't tell me you don't want that. We can teach them how it's done. I mean, everyone here has a significant other. Unless you count Iwaizumi of course.”

 

“True. Tooru needs to learn some moves if he wants to impress cold Ushiwaka.”

 

“Y’know Makki, we should do a threesome sometime. To teach Tooru and everything.”

 

“No, a foursome. We can't forget Iwaizumi.”

 

“Baby, you read my mind.”

 

“Matsukawa Issei, my saddle is getting moist.”

 

“OKAY! JUST STOP YOU TWO.” Hajime had had enough. He checked the horizon. “Okay, we're almost at Shiratorizawa.”

 

“You’re right.” The group had been too busy arguing to notice the approaching riders. There were three men, one with a bowl cut who Hajime recognized as Prince Kenjirou, the king’s brother, and two others who were unknown.

 

“Well, if I'm going to marry your king, maybe you three should introduce yourselves.” Tooru suggested.

 

Prince Kenjirou took the parole. “I'm Prince Kenjirou of Shiratorizawa, brother to His Majesty King Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa, First of his name, Lord of Swan’s Neck, Fire of the North and blood of the Ancient Ones. This is Lord Semi Eita and Lord Kawanishi Taichi, two of our trusted friends. We are here to welcome you to our kingdom.”

 

Hajime knew the people of Shiratorizawa were proud, especially when it came to their heritage. While the other three kingdoms were descended from invaders, Shiratorizawa had never fallen and were directly descended from the first people of this land. King Ushijima had a lot of titles, but he knew they were all hereditary.

 

Tooru grinned as he introduced his entourage in the most cheerful way possible. Their guides seemed put at ease by his manner, but Hajime could easily call his bluff. He wondered if he was the only one who saw the tear run down the king’s cheek once he thought no one was looking.

 

Swan’s Neck, the capital of Shiratorizawa and the castle it surrounded were absolutely breathtaking. It was protected by a natural wall of mountains and the blue bricks made it look as if it was made of ice. There was fresh snow underfoot, and a cold wind that bit their faces. A glance towards Tooru revealed that the young king’s nose was turning blue. Hajime hoped they could go inside before Tooru was any more frozen. Fortunately, their guides had been thinking the same thing.

 

“We’ll take you to the castle and show you the accommodations.” Prince Kenjirou assured them. “As you are probably weary from travelling, you will have the rest of the day to recover and relax in the hot springs. But they are  _ very _ hot.”

 

“Not as hot as Mattsun I bet!” Hajime heard Makki whisper.

 

“Bro.” his boyfriend whispered back.

 

As their retinue was escorted to their respective chambers, Hajime stuck close to his king. 

 

“Hey, Iwa-chan, come look at this. I have my very own naturally heated bath!” The knight followed his friend into the sizeable room. It was huge, with a four poster bed and a private bath.

 

“I see they were sure to accommodate your ego.” he replied.

 

“Mean!”

 

Hajime smiled before the gravity of the situation hit him. Tooru was getting married. It would no longer be the two of them.

 

As if he could read his friend's thoughts, Tooru approached the knight and took Hajime's hands in his. He leaned on the other's shoulder, breathing hot air onto the tanned neck.

 

“It's so cold here.” he murmured. “I remember how you were always warm and I would climb into bed with you when I was cold.”

 

“Well, you won't be sleeping alone.” 

 

“You're warmer than Ushiwaka.”

 

For once Hajime smiled, and massaged the chocolate locks. 

 

“Tooru?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

_ I love you.  _ “Never mind.” He couldn't bring himself to say it. No, he couldn't put that on Tooru's mind when he was about to get married.

 

“Iwa-chan?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Will you stay after the wedding? I don't want to be stuck in this cold place with only Ushiwaka for company.”

 

“I'll always be there for you.”

 

Tooru's lips were so close to his own that Hajime was tempted to lean down and place a soft kiss on them. Maybe he would've.

 

If his common sense hadn't kicked in.

 

~

 

There was chaos in the castle when Tsukishima woke up. His guards had left, and his gut told him something was wrong.

 

“Tsukishima-kun.” He turned around to see a woman standing at the entrance to his room. She was tall and muscular with short blonde hair. He recognized her as the infamous Lady Saeko, wife of Lord Ennoshita.

 

“What's happening?” he demanded.

 

“We received your note.” she explained. “Tell me what you meant.”

 

Reluctantly, he explained what had happened. How Tobio, Lord Sugawara, and the short kid had disappeared into the tunnel behind a painting.

 

“Why didn't you follow them?” she asked.

 

Tsukishima hated personal questions. “Tadashi wasn't going to make it. Someone had to stay with him.”

 

“You care about Tadashi a lot, huh?”

 

He hoped he wasn't blushing. “Why shouldn't I?”

 

Saeko looked as if she were going to say something, but then decided against it. 

 

“Tsukishima, I know you and your  _ friend _ were being tortured at the Queen's behest. The only way to defeat her is with Tobio. You are the only person who saw them escape. We need  _ you _ to find him. By your descriptions, I believe you probably have a chance while the guards are distracted.”

 

She was right, but he couldn't leave Tadashi. No matter what his friend insisted.

 

“No.”

 

“This is about Tadashi, right? Well, he's dead.”

 

“What?” Tsukishima searched her face to see if she was lying. She had every reason to - if Tsukishima believed Tadashi was dead, he would go along with her plan. However, she wasn't. The blond had experience with liars, he knew how to spot them.

 

“He managed to strangle himself with his chains. That's the reason everyone is panicking.”

 

For the second time in his life, Tsukishima felt like crying. No more smiling freckled faces. No more cries of  _ Tsukki _ . No more kisses like the one they'd shared in the cell. No more snuggling under warm blankets together. Tadashi was gone, and it was all because of him. He remembered the promise the other boy had forced him to make and a bitter taste crept into his mouth. This had been Tadashi's intent all along.

 

“Okay, it's sad, but if you don't snap out of it soon, the guards will return.” Saeko slapped him on the back and he considered punching her. 

 

He could find Tobio. Idiots were surprisingly hard to find sometimes. But who cared? He had nothing to lose. Maybe some monster in the tunnel would end his suffering.

 

“Fine.” he muttered and left the room.

 

The painting was easy to find. After checking that no one was around, Tsukishima moved it to the side and crawled in the tunnel, which was difficult considering his height. He readjusted the painting and was enveloped in darkness.

 

He should've brought a candle.

 

“Damn you Tobio. Damn you Shorty.” he murmured, blinking back the hot tears and trying to ignore the acidic taste in his throat. Then the sadness was gone. Only cold remained.

 

Eventually the small tunnel gave way to a bigger one. Tall enough for even Tsukishima to stand up in. He wondered how far they stretched, and who built them. Blindly, he stumbled through the darkness, wondering if he'd ever find Tobio when someone grabbed him from the back.

 

“Hey, Tsukki. Long time no see, eh?”

 

~

 

Tooru smiled as he watched Iwa-chan leave. Why had he even been worried? Of course his childhood friend would always be there for him. A newfound courage engulfed him. He knew that as long as he had his knight, they could take on the world.

 

Ever since the incident in Karasuno, Tooru had begun to question his feelings for his friend. He had never been particularly turned on by women, but he had never looked at Iwa-chan in that light before.

 

Or had he?

 

Since they were children, the king had watched his friend grow from a boy into a  _ very _ good looking man, and he found himself sneaking looks at those biceps when he thought no one else was looking. Besides, he  _ was _ constantly teased about it by Mattsun and Makki. But ever since his encounter with Queen Kiyoko, he couldn't help but wonder what those tanned arms would feel like around him. The thought warmed him in this cold place.

 

He wondered if Iwa-chan knew about the incident with Kiyoko. Kyoutani had probably told him, considering he told Iwaizumi everything. But there had been no mention of it between them. When Tooru had returned early and acted as if their fight was nonexistent, the knight hadn't openly questioned it. Did Iwa-chan hate him? Did he believe Tooru was young and weak, as everyone else did? Maybe they were right. Even the king himself didn't know.

 

_ Fuck. _ He was getting married tomorrow. He couldn't think about another man at the moment. Decisively, he walked towards the bath, fiddling with his clothes. Sure, he could find someone to do it for him, but he wanted to be alone. After stripping down, he slipped into the bath, finding it heated at just the right level. He leaned back and closed his eyes. 

 

His relaxation was interrupted by the door opening. In walked the King of Shiratorizawa, his betrothed, Ushijima Wakatoshi. 

 

Trying to play cool, Tooru flashed him one of his signature smiles. “So, how's it going, Ushiwaka?”

 

Tooru had met the man before at political meetings, where the stoic king had constantly belittled him, then tried to convince him to come to Shiratorizawa. A wave of fear crashed over him. He dug his nails into his palms to avoid having a panic attack.

 

“Oikawa Tooru. As proud as always.”

 

“As cold as always, Ushiwaka.”

 

“So you finally came?”

 

“Yes, I fell madly in love with you, can you not see?”

 

“I don't need your worthless pride at a time like this.”

 

“What! My 'worthless pride’ is my trademark characteristic!”

 

“Don't worry, I will soon crush it.”

 

Despite the warm water cradling his body, Tooru felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't like the sound of that.

 

“I'm not the weak king you think I am!” he blurted out.

 

“We’ll see.” Ushijima looked over his shoulder. “Tendou!” he called.

 

Almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, a man clad in red with long spiky red hair appeared.

 

“Oikawa Tooru.” he whispered, scrutinized every detail of Tooru's face. “I finally get to meet you.” He slid an arm around Ushijima’s shoulders in such a sexy way that the young king would’ve laughed, had he not been so scared.

 

“I fear I do not know your name.” he replied.

 

The red man grinned. “Tendou Satori. Priest bound to the God Zaqu'ar, the breaker of hearts and crusher of souls and his earthly son, the Miracle Boy Wakatoshi.”

 

Tooru snorted. Anyone who believed Ushijima was some deity reborn obviously had problems.

 

“Do you mock me?” Tendou murmured, pressing his face close to Tooru's. “Shall I break it, Wakatoshi-kun?”

 

“Break what?” the boy demanded.

 

“Your heart.”

 

Ushijima shook his head. “Your skills are not needed here. I can deal with my husband to be.”

 

Tooru didn't know whether to thank him or curse him.

 

When they were alone, Ushijima wasted no time.

 

“Get out of the bath.” he ordered.

 

“My, my. Someone’s eager.” he commented.

 

He didn't see the fist until it connected with his jaw. Tooru winced, gently touching the bruise.

 

“Don't talk to me like that from now on.” the older man commanded. “Or I’ll wreck your pretty face beyond repair.”

 

“Now,” he continued, “once we get married tomorrow, you are going to give me Aoba Jousai. You'll be the ruler in name, but I'll be the real one with power. Are we clear?”

 

“You think I'd fall that easily? I won't be your puppet.”

 

“What about your knight? Iwa-chan, I believe you call him. I hear he's a good fighter. Shiratorizawa has the strongest military. How many of our soldiers do you think it would take to kill him?”

 

Tooru gasped. “You wouldn't!”

 

“Do you really believe that?” He was closer now, and his fingers had begun to explore Tooru's unprotected skin.

 

“N-no.” the victim whimpered.

 

“Good. So if you want to keep your Iwa-chan safe, you’d better cooperate.” 

 

With each word, his gloved fist came into contact with Tooru's frail body.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And if you ever feel the urge to confide in someone, imagine his head on a spike. You know I could do it.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I'm a just man, Tooru. I do what has to be done. Ask Lord Semi Eita if you want.”

 

His expression hadn't even changed the whole time he'd been crushing Tooru's heart.

  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi has a breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another overdose of chapters about to come

Tobio rolled over restlessly in his small cot. There was no way he could sleep here. And Tobio could sleep anywhere. At banquets, in the forest, and especially during his lessons, which always made Tsukishima snicker. The prince pulled the blankets around his body. He would rather be in lessons than here. A tug of nostalgia pulled at his heart. He missed Crow Castle. He missed his father. He weirdly missed his lessons. In fact, he even missed Tsukishima. No, he didn't miss Tsukishima. He wasn't  _ that  _ homesick.

 

He was torn away from his reminiscing by a soft sobbing sound. He turned to the bed next to him, and realized it was coming from the small body on top of it. Facing the ceiling, he didn't know what to do. He had never been very good with people, and he didn't know what to say. Chances were he'd probably scare the boy instead of comforting him.

 

“Quit crying you dumbass, I’m trying to sleep.”  _ Shit. _ He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

 

Shouyou immediately glared at him. “I wasn't crying, you dumbass!”

 

“Yes you were, I could hear you!” Even in the dark, Tobio could see the redness under the other boy’s eyes and hear the choke in his voice.

 

“Shouyou? Tobio?” Suga’s soft voice filled the room. He was holding a candle which lit up his pale face.

 

“Uncle Suga?” Tobio whispered.  _ Good, Suga would know what to do about Shouyou. _

 

The silver haired man sat on Shouyou’s bed and pulled the redhead into his lap. 

 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

 

Shouyou sniffled. “My life has just been so confusing lately.”

 

“I know. Everything’s gone downhill since Daichi died. But now our kingdom is a political mess, and you were just caught in the middle of it.” His face seemed to grow angrier. “My sister used you as a pawn in the game she believes she’s playing. But you’re far, far, away from her now. She can’t hurt you.”

 

Tobio had noticed over the years that Suga and his mother hadn't had a typical brother-sister relationship - not that he had experienced one -, but he'd never heard his uncle speak so vehemently about his sister. 

 

“But, I miss Hitoka though. What if something bad happened to her while I was gone?”

 

Suga stroked the orange hair. “If she's not related to any of this mess, she’ll be fine. Kiyoko wouldn't hurt her just for being engaged to you.”

 

“Thanks, Lord-san.”

 

“Call me Suga.”

 

“Thank you Suga-san!”

 

The older man smiled. “I need to leave now. I hope you sleep better.”

 

“I'll do my best!”

 

The room was quiet for a while after Suga left, and Tobio attempted sleep again, to no avail. 

 

“Uh . . . Tobio?” Shouyou’s voice broke the silence.

 

“What?” he muttered.

 

“Um, well, I was just wondering . . .” his voice was cut off as he took a deep breath in. “Could you sleep with me?”

 

“Sleep with you?” Tobio was confused.

 

“I mean, you don't have to, I just can't sleep, so I thought it would help.”

 

The prince had nothing better to do, so he crawled into the cot adjacent to his. They weren't big, but neither was Shouyou. In fact, it seemed as if the tiny body fit perfectly into the empty space between Tobio's body and the wall. Once, he had been forced to share a bed with Tsukishima, which had not turned out well, for obvious reasons, so he made sure to always sleep alone. But this was different. The soft red hair was pressing against his collarbone, and he could feel soft breaths against his chest. Awkwardly, he draped his arm around Shouyou's hips, wondering if it was the right thing to do.

 

“Do you wish you had a sibling?” The other boy suddenly asked.

 

Surprised by the question, Tobio shrugged. “Some people say Tsukishima and I are like brothers, and two of him would be hell, so I guess not.”

 

“Hmmm. I had a sister once.”

 

“What happened?”

 

The taller boy felt a tear land on his chest. “She was my older sister. She taught me most of what I knew. But one day she just disappeared. I never saw her again.”

 

“Oh. I never heard about a girl disappearing.”

 

“Well, it's not exactly uncommon for people to go missing, or get killed. But you royals probably have more important things to worry about then the disappearance of a peasant girl.”

 

Tobio knew it was too true.

 

“I used to hate you,” Shouyou continued. “I thought the royal family were all stuck up people who didn't care about us. You especially. When your family passed by our village, the king would always talk to people and the queen waved, but you seemed like you didn't want to be there. That we weren't worth your time. But I guess you're okay now that I've actually met you.”

 

“Well, to be honest, I’ve never gotten along with other people. I didn't want to be there.”

 

The smaller one giggled and pressed his nose into Tobio's chest. “You're warm!”

 

“Oi, dumbass! Stop that!” Tobio was glad it was dark so Shouyou couldn't see his blush.

 

~

 

The music and general mood throughout the icy land radiated joy and happiness. Oikawa Tooru felt anything but that. He adjusted his robes for the umpteenth time that day, making sure they covered the bruises from the night before. At least he wasn't wearing a bride dress. This wasn't Karasuno or Nekoma, but marriages between two men were still uncommon, but not unheard of. Of course, the union was only for political reasons, and no children were expected to come of it, but the rules insisted on consummation. To Tooru, the thought was sickening, but it would probably be only the once. He checked the mirror again, making sure his hair looked acceptable. If Iwaizumi was here, he would make some comment about how ugly Tooru was. Nostalgia crashed over him like a wave, but he managed a small smile thinking of his friend. It soon disappeared when he remembered Ushijima's threat.

 

He jumped at a knock on the door. Since when did his husband-to-be knock? Didn't he just barge in and ruin Tooru's life?

 

“Tooru.” His heart leapt in his chest. This wasn't Ushijima. It was Iwa-chan!

 

“Come in!” he called.

 

The spiky haired man entered the room and the king made an effort to look happy.

 

“I'm accompanying you today, remember?” he reminded Tooru.

 

“Of course I remember,” the taller man assured him. “Oh by the way, does my hair look okay?”

 

The knight rolled his eyes and Tooru laughed. “I'll miss you, Iwa-chan.”

 

“I'm staying here with you, remember?”

 

A lump formed in the king's throat. “Well, I'm fine on my own, so maybe you should go back to Aoba Jousai. They probably need you there more than I do.”

 

“Tooru? What happened?” His friend's voice was harsh as he grabbed Tooru's shoulders.

 

“N-nothing.” He needed to seem happy, or else Iwa-chan wouldn't be convinced.

 

“I thought you wanted me to stay with you,” the knight protested.

 

“Yes, but I met my husband, and decided I'm fine.”

 

What a lie. All Tooru wanted was to be close to Iwaizumi Hajime. But it was his duty to protect his subjects, Hajime included. If his protector was in Shiratorizawa, it would be easy for Ushijima to find him.

 

No, this was Tooru's burden, and for once, he had to bear it alone.

 

~

 

The tunnels felt different than they had the first time Kenma had used them. Maybe it was because they had warriors to accompany them, or he was just getting used to them. Akaashi had told them to join a tunnel patrol, for no obvious reason. Apparently, there were dark things in the tunnels, Kenma could sense something unnatural, but Akaashi wouldn't reveal what it was.

 

There were three members of Fukurodani accompanying them. Konoha, the leader of the patrol, a boy called Onaga, who appeared to be his apprentice, and Washio, someone lower on the pecking order. They walked in silence, staying alert for any danger.

 

Deeper into the tunnels, and the air around Kenma changed. He could sense sadness. As they progressed, it grew stronger. Finally, a lone figure became visible in the dimly lit area. The Fukurodani people stopped and drew their weapons, but Kuroo squinted in the figure’s direction, as if in recognition. He motioned for the others to step back as he advanced towards the loner.

 

“Hey, Tsukki. Long time so see, eh?”

 

The man whirled around, obviously surprised to see Kuroo. His surprise immediately turned to distaste.

 

“I knew you were strange, but I didn't know you could rise from the dead.” Now that his face was in the light, Kenma could make out a tall boy with blond hair.

 

“I guess the trick is never having died in the first place!” Kuroo had obviously met this man.

 

Konoha was skeptical. “We don't know this person. He could be a danger to us.”

 

Kuroo grinned. “Don’t worry. This is Tsukishima Kei, one of Prince Tobio's closest companions. Don't you think he could be useful?”

 

“Why is he in the tunnels then?”

 

The newcomer glared. “That's none of your business.”

 

Konoha sighed. “We will escort him back to our base, and decide his fate. But if we linger here any longer, we may attract unwanted attention.”

 

Tsukishima shrugged, and followed the group. Washio fell back to stand behind him, weapon ready, to make sure the blond didn't try anything. But by the look in his eyes, Kenma knew that escape was the last thing on their captive’s mind.

 

They walked further, and Kenma could tell that Konoha was even more on edge than he had been before. His eyes were narrowed, and his body was ready to react to any danger.

 

“Hey, Konoha?” Kuroo called, making the guard jump. “Do the 'dark creatures’ of this tunnel have lingerie?”

 

“What do you mean?” Konoha was obviously annoyed at Kuroo, but also seemed concerned.

 

The dark haired man held up a piece of material. It was white, and seemed as if it could fit over someone's mouth, maybe as a mask. When Konoha saw it, he froze, fear rising in his eyes. Whatever it was, it meant something to the man. And not something good.

 

Regaining his composure, Konoha called for Onaga. He spoke quietly to his apprentice before handing him the material. When he had finished, the boy ran off.

 

“I gave him a message for Akaashi,” Konoha explained. They nodded, all too afraid to pry any more.

 

There were dark things at work here, Kenma could sense it.

~

 

Keiji was in a bad mood. Koutarou had spent the whole  _ fucking _ day going on about stupid Kuroo and his whore in the tunnels.

 

“Akaashi, do you think they'll be okay?” he fretted.

 

“Bokuto-san, they'll be  _ fine _ ,” he reassured his lover, while actually thinking,  _ I hope you are forced to watch your fuckboy die a horrible death, before being scalded in boiling water and cut into a million pieces while fully conscious. I hope you scream, Kuroo Tetsurou. I hope you feel the pain. _

 

“But I haven't seen him for ten years! What if I lose him now?”

 

Keiji didn't trust himself to respond. He wanted to slam his lover against the wall and yell, “I’m here too, you bastard!” Damn self control.

 

“I'm going to the library,” he announced. Koutarou hated the library - he hated reading in general. Maybe why he couldn't read his lover's emotions. But he was probably just worrying about stupid bedhead guy. Keiji made sure to slam the door.

 

“Akaashi-san!”

 

His self pitying was interrupted by another person entering the library. It was Onaga, Konoha’s apprentice. Onaga who was  _ supposed  _ to be on patrol.

 

“What?” he asked irritably.

 

“K-Konoha sent me back here to deliver a message. Bokuto-san said you would be in the library!” The boy was breathless, like he’d run all the way here.

 

“Well you found me, so deliver your message and leave me alone.”

 

“They captured someone. His name is Tsukishima Kei. He’s Prince Tobio’s closest friend.”

 

“Okay. Is that all?”

 

“They also found this.” Onaga held up a piece of cloth. “It just looks like an ordinary piece of cloth to me. I don’t know why everyone's so concerned about it.”

 

But to Keiji, it wasn’t. For the dark haired man, it held memories of a lifetime of pain and suffering.

 

An explosion happens when something has been continually bottled up. The pressure on the container builds, and builds, until finally it breaks. This is what happened with Akaashi Keiji.

 

Suddenly, he grabbed the boy’s shirt, slamming him against the wall. The sound echoed throughout the library, but he was past caring. He watched as fear filled the victim’s eyes, especially when he tightened the grip around the neck. The boy wanted to scream, but Keiji wouldn’t let any air escape. He eyed the small white neck, and considered snapping it, imagining the sweet melody of bone against bone. It would be so easy just to kill him. He was a nobody, one of many trainees in the Fukurodani Assassin Guild. It wasn’t like his life would have any meaning. 

 

Then again, did life really have any meaning? Many wise men speculated on the meaning of life, but why did everyone assume there was one? What if people had spent generation after generation searching for something that didn’t even exist? 

 

The writhing boy coughed, drawing Keiji’s attention back to his victim. He chuckled when he saw the fear in his eyes. Fear is what shapes us. Fear is beautiful.

 

He wanted to cut him, and watch the beautiful liquid flow, and then he would cut even deeper, until the rich redness was gushing out. No words would be able to describe how amazing it would be.

 

“AKAASHI!” He turned around, almost pitying the poor soul who had interrupted his fun. He gasped when he realized it was Koutarou.

 

“Akaashi, what are you doing?” his lover cried.

 

Stunned, Keiji dropped Onaga, and asked himself the same question.

 

_ What was I thinking? I’m becoming- _

 

He ran, and ran, until both of them were out of sight. Finally, he was alone. He locked the door, and his gaze fell to the knife strapped to his belt. Everyone assumed they knew why he carried that knife around. But they didn’t. They could never.

 

He unsheathed the knife, and unlaced his shirt, not bothering to look at himself in the mirror. That was something he didn’t need to see. Slowly at first, he began running the knife down his back, wincing as the cold silver kissed his pale skin. 

 

_ I have to do this,  _ he reminded himself  _ I must hurt myself - to avoid hurting anyone else. _

 

Red mixed with silver, and it was beautiful.

 

Life has no meaning, really. It doesn’t matter if you’re a rich noble or a nobody. Because no matter how hard you try, all living things end up the same way.

 

Dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote the akaashi scene while i was having a bad day, so that's why the extra angst


	13. The TALK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga gives Kageyama the TALK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is basically just about the vampires because i am losing inspiration

Who knew the quiet could be so haunting? Suga wandered through the tunnels, half expecting something to jump out at him.

 

What had happened? A short time ago, everything had been normal. He’d been in a castle, surrounded by his friends . . . and Daichi. Daichi was still alive. Tears began to rise in his throat as he suppressed them. He'd known his sister and brother-in-law hadn't been a happy couple - Daichi had often confided in Suga how distant his wife was, but he never expected her to resort to such extremes. Did she really hate her husband so much?

 

“You loved him, didn't you?”

 

Yui had appeared, the skirt of her revealing black dress sweeping the floor soundlessly. He could only see half her face, which somehow rendered her even more exquisite.

 

“What do you mean?” he replied.

 

“Daichi. My brother. You loved him, as more than a friend.”

 

Suga didn't want to reply. For years, he had felt a certain warmth while speaking to his brother in law, and a tingling sensation when they were close. But he had suppressed those feelings, knowing Daichi would be disgusted if he ever found out. If he were in Aoba Jousai, Nekoma, or Shiratorizawa, where two men were permitted to love each other, it may have been different, but Karasuno shunned such feelings. Even now, where every part of his old life was contradicted, he couldn't bring himself to confess.

 

“Suga.” It was the first time she had called him that. “It's never a crime to love someone. Do you know the real reason I was exiled from my family? Why they never mention me?”

 

He shook his head.

 

“I refused to marry you, because I loved someone else. I had a secret lover, one my parents would never have approved of.”

 

“Who was he?”

 

She smiled. “It wasn't a he.”

 

“So that's why you couldn't tell anyone?”

 

“They found out anyways. She was executed on a false charge, just for being close to me. My punishment was to watch her die, knowing it was all my fault.”

 

Suga didn't know what to say.

 

~

 

The first thing Tobio noticed when he woke up was the small body pressed against his. Shouyou was still sleeping, and some of his drool had created a puddle on the prince's chest. Suddenly, his face reddened. What if someone had seen him? Besides, curling up with someone was weird, wasn't it? 

 

Stealthily, he climbed out of the bed, and made his way out of the room. He didn't know what had come over him. His father would never have done something like that.

 

“Tobio? What are you doing?” Suga was standing in front of him.

 

Tobio blushed furiously. “I-I just . . .”

 

“Does this have to do with Shouyou?”

 

“No! Well . . . y-yes.”

 

Suga smiled. “Tobio, do you have feelings for him?”

 

The prince couldn't answer, which was enough.

 

“It's okay,” his uncle reassured him. “You shouldn't be ashamed of loving someone. You know, I’ve been through something similar.”

 

Tobio gazed questioningly at the older man.

 

Suga took a deep breath in. “I had feelings like that too. For another man. I was also ashamed, until I realized that it didn't matter, because love shouldn't be something we are punished for. Besides, he’s dead anyways.”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. Has he been dead for long?”

 

“Tobio, he was your father.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, so that's it,” Suga finished painfully. “If you love Shouyou, you should tell him, because if not, one day he’ll be gone, and you'll spend the rest of your life tortured by regrets.”

 

“Thank you, Uncle Suga. I'll think about it.”

 

Tobio walked along the long tunnel corridors, contemplating. Maybe Suga was right, and he  _ did  _ have feelings for Shouyou. He hadn't minded curling up to the redhead, running his fingers through the soft hair. He remembered the way the pointed nose had felt against his chest. And the warm body against his own. Once, Oikawa had explained the things that couples did together to him. Tobio tried to picture doing them with Shouyou. He wondered what their first kiss would be like - what if he messed it up, or something? But he did want to spend more of those nights with the ginger haired boy.

 

“I'm coming!” The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Tobio pressed himself against the wall. He knew these tunnels weren't safe for him alone. Someone was coming. He had to make sure they couldn't see him. 

 

Suddenly, a crack in the wall caught his eye. Daring to peek through, he saw two figures. They were wrestling in a tangled heap of blankets, with little clothing.

 

“Suguru, we waited long enough,” the figure on top complained. It was a man, with light hair, probably bleached. The other, on the bottom, let out a series of moans as blond hair slid his lips down his neck.

 

“Th-there are humans. From Karasuno. Michimiya's taken them in!” the bottom exclaimed between gasps. Finally, Tobio recognized the voice. It was one of the vampires he'd met when he first arrived. The one who had given him weird glances and wanted to drink his blood.

 

“Hmmm. What do the other vampires think of this?” the top demanded.

 

The vampire on the bottom suddenly switched positions, so he was on top of the other.

 

“Ikejiri is as stubbornly loyal as possible, but I believe I can sway the others.” He gently kissed his partner on the lips. “You know I can, Atsumu.”

 

Atsumu, the blond, hummed approvingly. “He grows impatient. So does she. All we need to do is dispose of Michimiya Yui. But right now, I'm hungry.”

 

~

 

Suguru tilted his head to the side as the other vampire pulled him close. Atsumu's tongue teased at his shoulder, before he sunk his fangs into the unprotected skin. Suguru exhaled in ecstasy as his lover sucked. He close his eyes and threw back his head.

 

“Suguru,” Atsumu had finished. “You've been plotting. Your blood reeks of it.”

 

The other vampire was right. His thoughts had been full of the prince, and his royal blood. He wanted it. He considered telling Atsumu this, as his lover was cute when he got jealous. But he refrained. The prince was his prize, and he didn't like sharing. And once he eliminated Michimiya, he could claim it.

 

“Do you ever miss the sun?” he asked instead.

 

Atsumu laughed. “It's been over five hundred years. Of course I tire of the darkness. But unless I want to get burnt, I have no choice.”

 

Suguru nodded. He missed aboveground. He missed the sun, the beaches, the birds that used to sing every morning. But things had probably changed by now. It had been almost four hundred years now, that he had been living like this. A lot could change in that time frame. He wondered what the world was like now. Everyone he knew would be dead now. His father. His mother.  _ Mika. _ Nothing but a legend.

 

Atsumu licked the warm blood trickling down his shoulder.

 

Suddenly, his superior senses picked up movement behind the wall. Craning his neck to peek through the crack in the door, he could make out a shadow. Someone was watching. Someone had heard. Quickly, he pulled on his clothes.

 

“Suguru,” Atsumu whined. “Leaving me so soon?”

 

“It isn't safe here,” he whispered. “Just stay put, okay?”

 

Creeping soundlessly into the corridor, Suguru caught sight of the unfortunate peeping Tom, and it made his skin crawl with excitement.

 

“Out late, Your Highness?” he mocked as the boy whirled round in surprise.

 

Before the prince could react, Suguru was onto him, wrestling him into a strong grip and pulling him into a dark corner. 

 

“Don't scream,” he warned. “If you know what's good for you.”

 

The boy obeyed, and the vampire could feel the fear rising inside him. Unable to resist any longer, he sank his fangs into his victim's neck. A gasp of surprise exited the prince’s mouth. Suguru slowly unlaced Tobio's shirt, feeling him up. He had a good body. Maybe the vampire would keep him. 

 

A vampire owed a certain loyalty to their sire. Four hundred years ago, when Atsumu had sired Suguru, he had kept the young vampire as a lover, and the brunette had served him faithfully. 

 

The royal blood was sweet, better than Atsumu's, or any he had ever tasted. It was thickly laced with fear, which gave it an extra  _ zing _ . Sighing, he pulled his fangs out, and licked the red liquid away before it could stain the princely garb. Then he began to touch him. He could tell the prince was enjoying it, despite his efforts not to.

 

“Your body is betraying you, your Highness,” he murmured, placing a hand on Tobio's crotch. He could feel the bulge against his palm. 

 

More of the rich, dark red fluid trickled from the open wound. He eagerly lapped it up, and tasted even more fear.

 

“Don't worry, my prince,” he cooed. “I won't do anything to you now. We’ll be spending  _ lots _ of time together for the next few centuries.”

 

Suguru pried open the wound on his own shoulder, and dipped his fingers in the blood, then forcing them into Tobio's mouth.

 

The prince couldn't help but swallow.

 

_ Good,  _ Suguru thought.  _ Now you belong to me. _


	14. Storytime with Nekomata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tooru has difficulty keeping his wedding vows.

“What the heck?” Yaku demanded. “Who the hell are you?”

 

The old man chuckled. “They call me Father Nekomata.”

 

“Hey,” Lev exclaimed. “Nekomata! That sounds like Nekoma!”

 

“Well, the name had to come from somewhere!” 

 

“You never heard the story?” Yaku asked Lev. The story of Nekomata the Voyager, or 'The Black Cat’ was well known throughout the kingdom.

 

“Stories. Huh,” Nekomata sighed. “They get repeated so many times until there is only a fraction of the truth remaining.”

 

“So what's the real story?” Lev was genuinely excited.

 

“My great-great grandfather was the founder of Nekoma. He defeated foes such as the Serpent Prince and the White Owl.”

 

“Hey! I know the story of the Serpent Prince!” 

 

“ _ Anyways _ , he was born in the land across the sea. But the land was dying - the crops failed, there was either droughts or floods, the children were dying. So he set out amongst some of his fellow people to find a better place. They sailed for years, in which the first Nekomata rose in the ranks, known for his cunning, and gained command of his own fleet. When they reached our shores, he set his sights south, on what is now our kingdom. But with the exception of the north, the south was the most troublesome. Heroes such as the White Owl, and the Serpent Prince-”

 

“I love the story of the Serpent Prince!” Lev interrupted again.

 

“Yes. The Serpent Prince of Nohebi. The south was ruled by the Nohebi clan, and the Fukurodani Assassins. The Serpent Prince, heir to the leadership of Nohebi, is very well known. He was known as a gallant knight who died for the woman he loved. Ha. The Nohebi people weren't called snakes for nothing. Especially that prince. There was a longtime rivalry between Nohebi and Fukurodani, so they couldn't just suck up their pride to push back the invaders. Instead, the Serpent Prince made a deal with Nekomata - destroy Fukurodani, and rule the land jointly. Well, they succeeded in the first part. But no one took the Lady Mika into consideration.”

 

“I love this part!” Lev gushed.

 

“The Lady Mika was the eldest daughter of the White Owl, Fukurodani's leader, slain in battle by the Serpent Prince. She was beautiful, and both men were captivated with her. She was betrothed to Nekomata, but the prince was furious. He kidnapped her, and took her away, keeping her for himself. Nekomata chased them down, and a final battle ensued between the two men, of which my ancestor was the victor. The prince fled at the last minute, and was never seen again. Still enraged, Nekomata then ordered the massacre of the whole Nohebi clan. Surprised, and without their prince to defend them, they were slaughtered. The women were raped viciously, sometimes by multiple soldiers at once, and babes were taken from their mothers’ breasts and murdered, earning his nickname, The Black Cat. So is that romantic enough for you?”

 

Yaku, despite knowing these details, grimaced. Lev was awe-struck.

 

“They say I'm mad,” Nekomata continued. “that’s why I was locked away for all this time, and the throne went to a cousin of a different name. My stories are all I have now. Be prepared to listen to them.”

 

“Tell another!” Lev pleaded. 

 

Nekomata sighed. “Well, the first Nekomata had a friend. They grew up together, sailed the seas together, and rose in command together. But when it came to conquering, one set out south, while the other set out west. Ukai, his friend, set out west. He was known as the Crow. He founded the kingdom of Karasuno, and maintained a healthy rivalry with Nekomata, at least until his thirst for power grew. Even a saint, when given enough power, can become a tyrant. Ukai couldn't deal with the power, and it corrupted him. Eventually, his people, with Nekomata’s help, overthrew him, and forced him to abdicate. He was allowed to live, as a farmer, but never laid a claim to power again. Another General, Sawamura, was instated as the new ruler of Karasuno, and his descendants rule Karasuno to this day.”

 

“Wow!” Lev exclaimed. “You're such a good storyteller, Nekomata-sensei!”

 

The old man grinned.

 

“Well, there's a rumor, you know. About the Serpent Prince.”

 

“Really?”

 

“There are some that say . . . he's not actually dead.”

 

~

 

The trumpets rang out gloriously as Oikawa Tooru, King of Aoba Jousai, walked down the aisle towards his husband-to-be, Ushijima Wakatoshi, King of Shiratorizawa. When he approached, his betrothed took his hand, yet there was no love behind his cold skin.

 

The priest began to recite the sermon, but Tooru couldn't concentrate on the words. He searched through the throng of onlookers, looking for one face in particular.

 

_ Iwa-chan? _

 

The frigid hand squeezed his in a menacing gesture, and he looked into the icy eyes of his fiance. A chill ran down his spine. The bruises seemed to hurt all over again. He pulled his eyes away, only to meet the fiery ones of Ushijima's priest, the one with the wild red hair.

 

They were like ice and fire, those two. But ice and fire were both capable of killing a young king who wouldn't do their bidding.

 

“Oikawa Tooru of Aoba Jousai, do you take Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

 

He looked from the cold, to the fire, and to the door. There was nowhere he could run.

 

“I do.”

 

The next thing he knew, his hand was being bound to that of one of the men he hated the most.

 

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. Finally, Ushijima let go of his hand.

 

“Go get changed for the wedding feast,” he ordered. His tone was so harsh that Tooru would've teased him, if he wasn't so afraid.

 

“Here, I'll accompany you,” Iwaizumi had appeared. For a moment, he was happy, until he remembered the threat.

 

“Hey, Iwa-chan, I'm fine, really,” he smiled, hoping it would fool his friend.

 

Instead, the green eyes narrowed. “I'm coming anyways.”

 

“Iwa-chan, so stubborn!”

 

They walked in silence until they reached Tooru's room. 

 

“So what are you planning on wearing?” the knight asked.

 

“Clothes, hopefully,” the brunette joked.

 

“Seriously, Tooru. What is up with you and Ushijima? I know there's something going on.”

 

“Well, can you expect me to be perfectly happy?” Tooru cried. “In my  _ forced _ marriage? To someone who makes statues seem emotional? Can you really blame me?”

 

“Tooru . . .” The spiky haired man reached for his king, placing his hands exactly where the bruises were. He quickly withdrew them as the man winced.

 

“What happened?” his tone was no longer soft, but terse. “Take off your shirt.”

 

“I'm  _ fine _ !” 

 

Tooru tried to wrestle the knight away, but unfortunately the latter was stronger.

 

“Tooru,  _ please _ . I'm your best friend, your milk-brother, your champion, your trusted advisor - if someone is hurting you . . . I. Need. To. Know.”

 

“Iwa-chan, no,  _ Hajime _ , don't make me tell you. You don't want to know.”

 

“It was Ushijima, wasn't it?”

 

Slowly, the king lowered his arms and allowed his friend to remove his shirt. The knight sucked in a breath when he saw the damage.

 

“He’s trying to control you, isn't he?”

 

Tooru nodded, biting his lip to hold back the tears. “Maybe it's better, though. You were probably right. This marriage is advantageous to our kingdom. I'm young, naïve, and incapable of ruling a kingdom. But with Ushiwaka . . .”

 

Suddenly, Iwaizumi roughly shoved him up against the wall.

 

“Can you even hear yourself?” he yelled. “You're not naïve or incapable. You're strategic and observant, just too stupid to notice! Maybe Ushiwaka is older and more experienced, but he's not you.  _ I _ believe in you, Tooru. I've always believed in you. Because I love you. And I wouldn't waste my time on someone naïve and incapable.”

 

He let out a long sigh once he'd finished. “Yeah, I said it. I love you, Tooru. Mattsun and Makki always tease me about it. I don't know when I realized they were right, maybe I always did. I don't want this anymore than you do, and I can't bear to see you hurt like this.”

 

Tooru stopped crying to stare at his friend. “Iwa-chan . . . you love me?”

 

The knight flushed and lowered his gaze, waiting for the next words. 

 

Instead, the king laughed. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

 

“What would you have done, then?”

 

“You know, Mattsun and Makki are probably smarter than both of us combined.”

 

It was Iwaizumi's turn to laugh. “So . . . you’re okay with it?”

 

“ _ Hajime, _ ” Tooru began. “I don't know when I realized it either, maybe it was when I fucked Queen Kiyoko. All I could think of was you. And when I realized how stupid I had been, I wished I was good enough for you.”

 

Hajime lifted a finger and brushed the tears away from his friend's face. “I don't care if you're not good enough for me,” he whispered.

 

The king’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth slightly, as if asking a question.

 

His knight responded by gently pressing their lips together. Gradually, the kiss deepened and Tooru threw his arms around Hajime's shoulders and straddled his waist.

 

“The bed,” he moaned, working at the buttons on the other man’s shirt. 

 

Hajime dropped him down on the bed, not breaking the contact at their lips. Tooru moved his hands into the spiky hair, gradually lowering to the tanned, muscular, back.

 

“Mmmm, Iwa-chan,” he whispered into the kiss, the past events a distant blur.

 

His skin was probably extremely flushed at the moment, but he didn't care. Hajime's fingers slid over it, making him shudder, but in the best possible way.

 

“Practising for tonight, Your Highness?”

 

The two men suddenly broke apart and turned to face the newcomers. Tooru's heart dropped. It was his new husband, and his creepy red priest.

 

“I . . .” he protested.

 

“I'm sorry, Your Highness,” Hajime interrupted. “It was all my idea. I didn't want to give him up to you.”

 

“Iwa-chan, it was  _ my _ idea!” Tooru retorted. He couldn't let them take his friend. Tooru was a royal, so they might spare him, where as Hajime was nothing but a common knight. Except he meant the world to his best friend.

 

Ushijima narrowed his eyes. “I'll deal with my husband. Tendou, take the other one, and punish him as you seem fit.”

 

The fire that lit up in the priest’s eyes made the brunette's blood run cold. 

 

“Please, Ushi-  _ Wakatoshi _ ! If you somehow care about me in any way, don't hurt him. Do whatever you want to me!”

 

“Tooru, don't do this to yourself!”

 

“Awwwww!” Tendou exclaimed. “Your hearts are so cute! I just want to break them!”

 

Ushijima shrugged, and motioned for Tooru to approach. “Come with me,” he ordered.

 

The king followed his husband into the throne room where dozens of onlookers stood waiting.

 

“Tell them what you did,” he ordered. “You dishonored yourself, your family, and me. You should no longer be a king.”

 

Taking a deep breath in, Tooru raised his head. He didn't want to be strong anymore. He didn't want to fight. “Yes,” he confessed. “I committed adultery, I kissed another man on my wedding day, and would've done more, if I hadn't been interrupted. I shamed my husband, and my ancestors. I am no longer fit to be king.” He looked up at his husband. “I give my crown and all that comes with it to Ushijima Wakatoshi, King of Shiratorizawa.”

 

A surprised gasp echoed through the crowd. Ushijima nodded solemnly, dipping his head before escorting the former king from the room.

 

“What are you going to do now?” Tooru asked quietly. “You have my crown, and your red bitch has Iwa-chan, what more do you want?”

 

“You must pay for your adultery. It is the law.”

 

“Always the same, eh Ushiwaka?”

 

“Please do not call me that.”

 

They arrived at a room that suspiciously resembled a torture chamber. The red priest was waiting.

 

“Tendou. You know what to do.”

 

His eyes lit up in that strange way again. Suddenly, Tooru had had enough.

 

“What did you do to Iwa-chan?” he yelled.

 

“You’re so pretty, you know that, right?” Tendou fingered his jaw. “I can't wait to break your heart in two.”

 

“Tendou, get on with the punishment,” Ushijima ordered.

 

“Sure! Anything for you, Wakatoshi-kun!”

 

“You are seriously flirting with him?” Tooru muttered.

 

“Yamagata! We have a job!” Tendou called. A spiky haired man appeared, holding a knife. He looked tired as he glanced to the priest for instructions.

 

“Wait, I have an even better idea! Why don't we bring in the lover?”

 

“Tendou, this isn't for your amusement,” Yamagata reminded him.

 

“Okay, just get on with it then.”

 

Yamagata approached Tooru holding his knife.

 

“I'm sorry,” he whispered. “For everything. But I have to do this. Just keep still and it will be much easier.”

 

By now, the brunette had a good idea of what his punishment might be. Was there really an easier way? He remained immobilized as the cold metal entered his mouth, so different to Hajime's warm tongue.

 

He would never be able to say ‘I love you’ again. His last words would be 'You are seriously flirting with him?’.

 

He didn't cry out when the knife sliced and blood filled his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be honest, i am kind of losing inspiration for writing the rest of this fic, so for those of you who read it, i will be posting a summarized ending soon. Maybe i will take this up again if i get the motivation, but there's a lot going on in my life at the moment, so i doubt it.

**Author's Note:**

> so that was the prologue, kiyoko is really out of character, but she's like that for the whole fic. i was really inspired by gearge r r martin's a song of ice and fire series, so if you like this fic, i recommend those books.
> 
> thanks to my beta, @starcass_mieryna
> 
> I will try to update weekly
> 
> Next time: Trouble is stirring in Karasuno, a prophetic vision in Nekoma, and self doubt in Aoba Jousai


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